Legally reviewed by Tyler R. Kobylinski, Trial Attorney at Morgan & Morgan, on September 18, 2024.
Insurance is often a necessity. Auto insurance is required by law, home insurance is required by mortgage lenders, and having health insurance is a requirement in some states. Although policies are required, providing straightforward terms isn’t.
With these complicated terms, one thing becomes clear: insurance companies often want to minimize payments.
Here’s a simple math equation.
More money spent on paying claims = less profits in the bank. So after an injury, when insurance coverage is backing the payout, you’re often fighting against a very big profit-making business that is hesitant to let that money go.
Insurance adjusters are employees of the insurance company who are responsible to review property damage or personal injury claims and determine how much they’re worth. Only problem? It’s to their benefit to say that the claim is worth a lot less than it actually is.
But, you can fight back. Here are five things your insurance company doesn’t want you to know.
You Have a Limited Time to File a Claim
Time is of the essence. Most states only give you 30 days to file a claim with your insurance company and some require you to contact the police within 24 hours of an incident like a car accident or medical malpractice. That’s not a lot of time, especially when you’re in pain and under stress!
While you do have a year to file a civil personal injury lawsuit, hiring a lawyer immediately can ensure you don’t miss any deadlines for your case. If you miss your claim filing deadline, you could miss your window to receive money for your accident.
You Don’t Have to Accept Their Decision
After filing a claim, insurance companies are betting that you’ll accept their decision even if it’s a low-value payout or a flat-out denial.
You don’t have to! You can still file an appeal and have an attorney negotiate a settlement to give you the financial assistance you need to recover from your accident. If it can’t be resolved directly between your lawyer and the insurance company, your case can be taken to court.
You Can Take Advantage of Discounts
Yes, even insurance companies offer discounts. They might not be as great as a buy-one-get-one-free coupon, but there are ways you can save money on your insurance premium payments.
These discounts are usually listed in the fine print of your policy, but you can also call your insurance company and ask them what discounts are available.
For example, a car insurance company might offer lower monthly premiums to people who maintain a safe driving record. A homeowners insurance plan could give you a discount for having a security system or even just for switching to paperless monthly statements. Military members, first responders, senior citizens, and other groups are usually eligible for discounts, too.
All you have to do is ask and you could be saving money every month.
You Can Afford to Hire an Attorney
Insurance companies save more money when lawyers are not involved in a claim, so they would prefer it if you didn’t hire one. That’s why you might hear them say that hiring a lawyer is “cost prohibitive,” which is a downright lie.
Most personal injury lawyers don’t get paid upfront and instead accept a percentage of the money you’re awarded for an insurance claim. This is called a contingency fee basis and ensures that everyone can get the legal help they need to take on their insurance companies.
Don’t believe anyone who says you have to pay legal fees upfront for your personal injury case.
You Have Access to an Insurance Guide
Every state publishes insurance guides that contain helpful information, like how much insurance companies can charge you for your premiums and what they have to pay if you make a claim.
Pro tip: it’s available for free online. If you want a physical copy of the guide you can get it by calling your state’s toll-free consumer advocate phone number.
They can be filled with a lot of legal jargon, so your attorney can help interpret the guide and ensure your legal rights aren’t being violated.
Here’s a bonus tip for you.
After you hire a personal injury attorney, your insurance company is no longer able to contact you directly. It’s the law. All communication has to go through your attorney, who is experienced in navigating the claims process.
Hiring an attorney quickly helps ensure that you are protected from unfair offers and misleading information. If you’ve recently been harmed or injured, get in touch. We’re here to fight for what you deserve.