Posted by Law Offices of Laird & McCloskey – Truck Accidents
If you are injured in an accident with a commercial motor vehicle or a car, you will likely hear from the other driver’s insurance adjuster or lawyer soon after the accident. If this happens, it is essential to know that the adjuster or lawyer represents the parties on the other side, and is usually interested in minimizing their fault and your damages in order to prevent you from receiving a fair settlement.
In Texas, it is crucial that you retain an experienced personal injury attorney to represent your interests as soon as possible after you have been in an accident with an 18 wheeler or some other vehicle. Having an experienced law firm on your side helps to protect you against the insurance company’s efforts to minimize and devalue your claims, and their attacks on your reputation and credibility. They commonly do this in conjunction with the defense lawyers they hire.
Common Tactics used by Insurance Adjusters & Defense Lawyers to Help Minimize the Amount of Your Claim:
- Calling you immediately after the accident: An adjuster or defense lawyer might call you immediately after the accident to record your statement and ask you questions “while the incident is still fresh in your mind.” These types of calls are likely not intended to “speed up the process”; rather, they are designed to gather the information that can later be used against you by:
- Tricking you to admit that you were partially at fault;
- Tricking you to minimize the extent of injuries, or getting you to state that you are doing fine after the accident;
- Tricking you to recount the accident in hopes of developing information that can later be used against you.
- Offering a minimal settlement before you fully understand the extent of your injuries. Some adjusters and defense lawyers will attempt to get you, the injured person, to settle before you have finished treatment and rehabilitation, and before you have had the chance to contact an experienced lawyer who can provide you with an understanding of what you are entitled to recover for all of your claims.
- Denying your claim in hopes that you will simply give up. Reasons can include claiming that you were responsible for the accident, blaming another third-party for the accident, or attempting to convince you that your injuries are not consistent with your accounting of the accident and so forth.
- Probing into your confidential past medical history in hopes of a preexisting condition that the adjuster or defense lawyer can use as an excuse for your current problems.
Bad Faith Tactics & Additional Liabilities
In addition to these common tactics, some insurance companies or defense lawyers employ bad faith tactics that may leave them open to additional liabilities. Our team of experienced Fort Worth truck accident attorneys, personal injury, and wrongful death lawyers, has handled many of these types of cases.
We understand the complexities of Texas commercial trucking laws and car wreck laws. We will always try to ensure that you are protected from bad faith tactics, and we will always be there to help you to recover the just and fair compensation that you deserve.
