There is no question that knowledge is power. The more you know, the better your decision-making process will be. That is the case, as well, when dealing with insurance adjusters. Following any type of accident, you may find yourself dealing with an insurance company adjuster. These adjusters are trained to minimize any and all claims that come across their desks. The more you know about the process, the better you will fair. Here are seven tricks used by insurance companies to dupe innocent people.

The first trick they employ is to befriend the claimant. They will accomplish this by acting very nice and acting seemingly very sincere and empathetic for what the accident victim has experienced. They seem to care for the well-being of the claimant, when in fact, that’s anything but the case. If you’re dealing with an insurance adjuster related to a car accident, and he or she is being very nice, that is fine and well, but never forget this adjuster is not on your side. The adjuster is paid by his employer, which is the insurance company, to limit the amount of money he pays to you for your claim. Never forget that.

The second trick insurance companies like to use is to tell you that you need to sign a medical authorization form. When dealing with a bodily injury adjuster, there is no requirement to provide a medical authorization form. The reason the adjuster wants this form signed by you is that signed form will allow him to access your prior medical records. Once he receives your prior medical records, he will attempt to argue that the injuries you claim were caused from the accident were actually preexisting injuries caused by a past event. Don’t fall for this trick, and don’t sign a medical authorization form presented to you by a bodily injury adjuster.

The third trick used by insurance company adjusters is to not tell you the full extent of insurance benefits available. The adjuster doesn’t want you to know about the full available policy limits because that will perhaps require him to pay that full amount. For example, suppose you have very serious personal injuries from a motorcycle accident. You may have broken bones or muscle tears or other severe injuries from the accident. You need to know how much insurance is available. However, the adjuster wants you to be kept in the dark about the available insurance. Make sure to request in writing a full disclosure of the full insurance policy benefits that are available on your claim. That is a legal violation under Massachusetts law if the adjuster refuses to provide this information when requested to do so in writing.

The fourth trick used by insurance company adjusters is to send a claimant a settlement check. If you slipped and fell, the insurance company may send you a check. Make sure to not cash that settlement check. By cashing the check, that is essentially acceptance of those funds that will settle the case forever. Cashing that check will forever close out your case. If you receive a settlement check out of the blue from an insurance company, be on alert that by cashing the check, your case will be forever closed. There are many other ways in which insurance companies try to trick innocent people. Make sure never to fall for any insurance company games or tricks.

If you or someone you know needs the services of a Boston personal injury attorney, contact the Earley Law Group Injury Lawyers today for your free consultation. Our phone number is 617-444-7777, and we encourage you to contact us so that we may begin helping you with your claim.