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Can You Trust the Insurance Company? Three Tricks Tidewater Accident Victims Should Lookout For

If you were hurt in an auto accident in the Tidewater area of Virginia, it may seem like no big deal to talk candidly with the insurance company after your wreck. After all, they need information from you in order to process your claim and get you the money you need to pay for your medical bills and fix your car.

However, as we’ve seen time and time again over the years, the insurance company is not on the side of accident victims. First and foremost, as for-profit companies, insurers look out for themselves and their bottom line. This means that as the injured party looking for a fair payout, you need to be alert to the tricks insurance agents play to try to reduce your claim, or deny it completely.

Hurt in a Virginia car wreck? Here are three insurance company tricks you need be on the lookout for:

  1. “You don’t need a lawyer…” Many insurance companies plant this idea in your mind early on, in casual friendly conversation. They promise they’ll take care of you, or they hint that you’ll receive less money if you get an attorney involved. Statistics simply don’t support this claim. Research has found that accident victims get more money with an attorney than they do when they negotiate a settlement on their own. Of course the insurance company doesn’t want you to get a lawyer – it’s going to cost them MORE!
  2. “Can you sign this medical release form, please?” The insurance agent will probably want you to sign a medical release form, because they need your medical records to see what they need to pay for after the crash. The trick here is that many release forms are blanket releases, which gives the agent full access to your past medical records. Whoa! Why would they do that? So they can see if they can blame your accident injuries on something that happened to you in the past, and deny your claim. You definitely need to talk with a lawyer before you sign anything, especially a release form.
  3. “I’m going to send you a settlement check right away…” Great! A quick settlement, you think, I can put all of this behind me, pay my bills, repair my car, and move on with my life! Not so fast. The insurance company knows that you probably really need the money – and really want the money – so they will probably give you LESS than you really deserve. They’re hoping you’ll be so happy to see that check that you’ll go away and leave them alone – and they’ll save money! Don’t fall for this one – at least as a car crash attorney’s advice on any settlement BEFORE you accept it.

If your insurance agent is giving you a hard time, don’t feel like they are singling you out – these tricks are pretty common after a wreck, especially if it involved serious injuries or major property damage. A good Virginia auto accident lawyer will help you look out for your rights and get you the compensation you deserve.

Please contact us at our Norfolk office today to talk about your case – we’ll give you free confidential advice for no obligation.

Weisberg & Zaleski, P.C.

112 College Place

Norfolk, VA 23510

Toll Free: (800) 690-0235

Phone: (757) 622-7740

Fax: (757) 533-9223




Michael S. Weisberg, P.C.
112 College Place
Norfolk, VA 23510
Phone: (757) 622-7740
Fax: (757) 533-9223
Toll Free: (800) 690-0235
Email: info@weislaw.com
www.weislaw.com