How Insurance Companies Try to Reduce Injury Settlements
You were hurt in an accident that wasn’t your fault. You filed a claim, expecting the insurance company to do the right thing. But instead of a fair offer, you got a lowball number that doesn’t come close to covering your medical bills, lost wages, or the pain you’ve been living with. Sound familiar? You’re not alone, and what you’re experiencing is often part of a deliberate strategy.
Insurance companies are businesses, and their bottom line depends on paying out as little as possible on claims. Understanding the tactics they use is the first step toward protecting yourself.
Common Ways Insurers Work to Minimize What They Pay
When a claim comes in, adjusters are trained to look for ways to reduce the payout. Here are some of the most common methods they use:
- Disputing liability: Even when fault seems clear, insurers may argue that you were partially to blame for the accident. In Florida, comparative negligence rules can reduce your compensation by the percentage of fault assigned to you, so this is a powerful tool for insurers.
- Questioning the severity of your injuries: Adjusters may claim your injuries are pre-existing, exaggerated, or unrelated to the accident. They may even hire independent medical examiners who are known for producing reports favorable to insurance companies.
- Delaying the process: A prolonged claims process puts financial pressure on injured people, who may accept a lower offer simply because they need money now and can’t afford to wait.
- Requesting excessive documentation: While some documentation is legitimate, asking for mountains of records can be a tactic to slow things down and search for reasons to deny or reduce your claim.
- Making a quick, low settlement offer: Early on, before you know the full extent of your injuries or long-term care needs, insurers may push for a fast settlement. Once you sign, you typically cannot go back and ask for more.
- Using your own statements against you: Insurance adjusters may contact you shortly after the accident, when you’re still shaken, and try to get you to make statements that undermine your claim.
Florida Law Has Protections for Injured Claimants
Florida law does provide some safeguards. Under Florida Statute Section 624.155, insurers are required to act in good faith when handling claims. The law allows injured parties to bring a civil action against an insurer that fails to make a genuine effort to settle a claim fairly and honestly when it reasonably could and should have done so. When an insurance company violates this duty, it may be held liable for damages beyond the original policy limits, including, in some cases, punitive damages.
That said, knowing the law exists and actually enforcing it are two different things. Insurance companies have teams of experienced professionals and lawyers working on their side. Without someone equally experienced on yours, it can be very difficult to get what you deserve.
Talk to a Fort Lauderdale Personal Injury Attorney Before Accepting Any Offer
If you’ve been injured and are dealing with an insurance company, don’t go it alone. At Boone & Davis, our Fort Lauderdale personal injury attorneys have spent decades standing up for injured people throughout Broward County. We understand the tactics insurers use, and we know how to counter them. If you’ve received a settlement offer that feels too low, or if an insurer is making the process unnecessarily difficult, we encourage you to contact us. We offer free consultations and work on a contingency fee basis, so you pay nothing unless we recover compensation for you. Contact Boone & Davis today to find out how we can help you fight for what you’re owed.
Source:
flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2024/624.155
