Yea, you’re probably getting the run-around. Insurance companies are shady like that. They want to pay you as LITTLE as possible, even when it’s your own insurance company who you’ve been paying thousands of dollars to over the course of time! Their loyalty is to their shareholders, not you! Use this to spot red flags and know when to push back or loop in an attorney.
- Deny liability: Example: The adjuster says their driver had the green light and refuses to accept the police citation issued to their driver for failure to yield.
- Dispute medical necessity: Example: They decline to pay for an MRI ordered by the ER, insisting a basic clinic visit and ibuprofen were sufficient.
- Blame pre-existing conditions: Example: They point to a 2018 chiropractic note to claim your current herniated disc was not caused by this crash.
- Downplay injuries: Example: They classify your torn rotator cuff as a minor sprain and offer $500 for “soreness.”
- Delay payment: Example: Your file gets “under supervisor review” for weeks, then the adjuster changes and you are told to call back in 30 days.
- Ask for unnecessary documents: Example: They demand 10 years of medical records and 5 years of tax returns for a low speed rear-end collision.
- Use your words against you: Example: They quote your “I’m fine” at the scene to argue months of physical therapy were unnecessary.
- Pressure for recorded statements: Example: They claim they cannot evaluate your claim unless you give a recorded statement today.
- Offer lowball settlements: Example: They offer $1,000 and a full release 48 hours after the wreck before you have seen a specialist.
- Claim policy exclusions: Example: They deny coverage citing a business use exclusion because a delivery app was open, even though you were off the clock.
- Question witness credibility: Example: They say the independent witness was too far away at 150 feet to see the unsafe lane change captured on dashcam.
- Blame another party: Example: They claim a phantom vehicle cut their insured off and tell you to pursue that unknown driver instead.
- Argue comparative negligence: Example: They assign you 30 percent fault for “following too closely” to cut any payout by 30 percent.
- Send you to their doctor: Example: Their IME concludes you reached maximum improvement two weeks after the crash and need no further care.
- Misinterpret medical reports: Example: They cite a note that “pain improved” while ignoring the MRI showing a labral tear.
- Claim late reporting: Example: They deny because you reported the claim 30 days after the crash and point to a “prompt notice” clause.
- Investigate your social media: Example: They use a smiling backyard barbecue photo to argue you are not in serious pain.
- Use surveillance: Example: They show video of you carrying grocery bags to claim your lifting restriction is exaggerated.
- Challenge lost wages: Example: They reject your 1099 invoices and demand employer pay stubs you do not have as a freelancer.
- Threaten policy loopholes: Example: They warn a household exclusion could bar your spouse’s claim and pressure you to accept a small offer.
- Argue minimal vehicle damage means no injury: Example: The adjuster points to photos of a lightly scuffed bumper and claims your whiplash could not have happened, despite your doctor’s diagnosis and treatment plan.