Insurance companies are not on your side. By law, you are required to carry auto insurance, and they are required to honor their contracts with you, but they will use whatever they can to undervalue your car accident claim in Fort Myers. Between the overly complicated process of filing an insurance claim and the paltry settlements they offer, it is a highly frustrating process when seeking fair compensation for your injuries and losses.
But aninsurance claim lawyer in Fort Myers can help. We can investigate your accident file claims backed with evidence, and fight for your rights.
Why Insurance Companies Undervalue Claims
It is not a mystery. The primary motivation of any insurance company is toreduce payouts and save profits. Like any company, good or bad, they want to protect their bottom line, and they will use various tactics to accomplish that.
Common Tactics Victims Face in Fort Myers
The following are some of the tactics employed by insurers to varying degrees:
Quick, Lowball Settlement Offers
Insurers are aware of the financial strain their claimants are under. Some insurance adjusters may offer victims quick settlements before full costs are known or medical issues fully develop, all under the pretense that they are helping.
Disputing Liability
Florida follows amodified comparative fault doctrine. Under this legal principle, fault may be shared between multiple parties, including the victim. Insurers may use this law to shift more blame onto the victim to reduce their payout.
Challenging Medical Evidence
When investigating your accident, insurance companies may try to gain access to your full medical history. They do this so that they can look for previous injuries, claiming your current injuries are pre-existing or just exaggerated.
They will also question the medical care you receive. For example, Florida’spersonal injury protection (PIP) policy covers all “reasonable” costs related to “necessary” medical care. They will use those qualifiers to argue that treatment was unnecessary or too costly.
Delaying Tactics
Car accident settlements in Fort Myers have a legal deadline known as thestatute of limitations. You typically have two years from the accident date to file a lawsuit.
Some insurers drag out the claims process in the hope that the deadline to file a lawsuit expires. Without the right to sue, the victim has little recourse to pursue any compensation greater than what the insurers offer.
What Victims Can Do to Protect Themselves
If you have been in a car accident in Fort Myers, here’s what ourFort Myers auto accident attorneys recommend you do to protect yourself:
- Seek immediate medical care and document everything.
- Gather evidence, such as the police report, medical records, witness statements, and the driver’s information.
- Speak with a Fort Myers car accident attorney before calling the insurance companies.
- Review any settlement offers with your lawyer first.
Call the Law Offices of Wolf & Pravato to Protect Your Fort Myers Claim
Insurance companies often undervalue claims, but with the assistance ofour legal team, we can protect your rights and fight for maximum compensation.
Call us today at (844) 643-7200 for a free consultation with a member of our staff.