Insurance Companies Disputing Liability

Like any other business, insurance companies seek to take care of the company’s interests and maximize their profits. So sometimes, motorists can find themselves in difficult situations where their insurers reject their claim or try to attribute to them if not all, at least part of the responsibility for an accident.

Here are some of the common strategies or excuses they can use to decline your request:

• The terms and clauses of your insurance coverage. It is very important to have a good understanding of what your auto insurance covers and the amounts and expiration dates. Insurers can use this information or any details of it to reject your claim.
• Failure to report the accident on time. If you are ever involved in a car accident, you should do two things immediately: call the police and call your insurance agent. Failure to do so could cause the insurance company to question the validity and veracity of your claim.
• Not having a medical report. In the same way, you should get a medical examination immediately so that your injuries can be thoroughly checked. It is important to remember that some injuries appear immediately, while others take time to do so. A medical report is an official document that will be of great help during your case and that will inform of any injuries that have been found and diagnosed.
• Give responsibility to the insured. Although it is true that in some cases, the fault can be shared by both drivers, you should be very careful that the insurance company does not assign you a percentage of responsibility if it’s not the case. By doing so, they can significantly decrease the amount of compensation that will be assigned to you.
• Using a pre-existing medical condition as a pretext to try to avoid paying compensation. This is also a situation that we can often encounter. However, while it is true that you cannot request compensation for a pre-existing medical condition, you can do so if the symptoms of this pre-existing condition are aggravated as a result of the accident.
• Using recorded or written statements against you. If the insurance company asks you for a statement about the accident, it is best to refuse. Any statement could be misrepresented and used against you during the process.

It is extremely important to hire the help of an attorney who has extensive experience in handling insurance companies before taking any steps.