Chicago car insurance companies evaluate claims with the goal of limiting what they pay under the policy. Even when liability appears clear, an adjuster may use the following tactics to challenge the amount of compensation owed.
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Asking for a Recorded Statement Early
An adjuster may request a recorded statement from you shortly after the accident, sometimes before you understand the full extent of your injuries. Your answers to questions about pain, prior medical problems, how the collision occurred, or whether you feel “okay” can later become evidence for the insurer’s reason to dispute the claim. A statement given while symptoms are still developing may not reflect what doctors later diagnose.
Requesting Broad Medical Information
Insurance companies often review medical records thoroughly to determine whether the accident caused the injuries being claimed. The insurer may ask you for medical history prior to the collision, but allowing them access can cause problems. If you had an injury to the same part of the body harmed in the crash, the insurer can use it to try to reduce your claim.
Using Treatment Gaps Against the Claim
Adjusters may question injury severity if you stop treatment, miss appointments, or wait long periods before returning to a doctor. Legitimate reasons for a gap, including difficulty scheduling specialists, insurance problems, work responsibilities, transportation issues, or instructions to monitor symptoms before returning must be documented.
Offering a Quick Settlement
An early settlement can sound appealing, but the amount of compensation initially offered is often much lower than your claim’s value. The full extent of your injuries is likely unknown. You may need additional treatment, specialist care, surgery, physical therapy, extended time away from work, or experience permanent restrictions. All of which can significantly increase your claim’s worth. Once a settlement is accepted and a release is signed, you generally cannot return later and seek additional compensation.
Shifting Part of the Blame
An insurer may attempt to assign some responsibility to you even when its insured is entirely or mostly at fault for the crash. They may allege you were speeding, distracted, failed to brake, check a blind spot, or made another dangerous driving to reduce the amount the insurer believes it owes. Accident photographs, video, witness statements, vehicle damage, electronic data, and the crash report can help prove what happened.
Monitoring Social Media and Daily Activities
Insurance companies may review public social media posts to compare photos, videos, check-ins, comments, or posts about travel, exercise, work, or social activities to your statements about pain, mobility, or physical limitations. An insurer may argue that a post shows you are more active than claimed, even when the post captures only a brief moment. Adjusters can also compare posting dates, captions, tagged locations, and comments from friends or family with medical records and testimony to look for inconsistencies that could reduce your claim’s value.
Protecting the Value of a Chicago Car Accident Claim
A personal injury attorney in Chicago can help keep the insurer from controlling the claim or using incomplete information to justify a reduced offer or denial. They manage every aspect of the process and if the insurer still refuses to offer fair compensation, your attorney can continue negotiations or pursue the claim in court. To discuss any insurance issues after a car accident, reach out to Mark L. Karno & Associates, LLC.
We offer free consultations, call (312) 701-0090 or send a message online.