Tactics of Trucking Companies to Fight Accident Claims
California is one of the states with the highest number of reported truck accidents. In one year, large trucks were involved in 3,906 fatal crashes in California. Such accidents can lead to severe injuries that cause physical, emotional, and financial damage. If you are filing a claim against a trucking company, it is important you understand the tactics it might use to trick you out of the compensation you deserve & consult a San Diego truck accident lawyer.
Give You a False Sense of Security
After the accident, an adjuster may try and make you feel safe and comfortable with him or her, convincing you the insurance company will accept liability for your damage without complaint. The adjuster’s main goal is to help end the claim quickly and leave you with the smallest amount of money possible. Do not trust false assurances. It is important to always remain aware of who he or she works for and that he or she is most likely not prioritizing you.
Stall
Adjusters have also been known to stall. He or she can avoid you by not responding to emails, not answering phone calls, and ignoring any other efforts to make contact. Your adjuster may promise that he or she will work with you soon, but never get back to you.
It is beneficial for an adjuster to delay your case because of the statute of limitations. The California statute of limitations for truck accidents is two years. That means you have two years to file your claim after the truck accident before you lose your eligibility. If the adjuster can push your case back far enough, your claim will become irrelevant to the court and the trucking company will not have to compensate you.
Asking Similar or Misleading Questions
If you can get an adjuster to work with you, he or she will ask you a long series of questions about the accident. One of the tactics he or she may use is to ask you multiple questions that are asking the same thing, but in a different way. If one of your answers varies slightly, the adjuster may try and use the varying answer to make you seem dishonest. If the court perceives you as dishonest, it is less likely to completely support your claim.
The adjuster may also ask you misleading questions to trick you into inadvertently admitting some fault. He or she may ask a question that seems casual, but which might make you say something he or she can use against you.
Making a Low Offer and Pressuring You with a False Deadline
Many people communicating with an adjuster do not have extensive knowledge about truck accident laws. Adjusters will use your lack of expertise against you. They might present you with a low offer and give you a false deadline to scare you into taking the deal. It is important to have an attorney with experience in truck accident claims to give you sound advice when the adjuster may be trying to trick you.
Pretending to Be Your Friend
A common tactic for an adjuster involves making you think he or she is a friend whom you can trust. He or she will try and convince you that you do not need an attorney to work through your case. Without an attorney by your side, you are exponentially more vulnerable to the tricks and tactics an adjuster might use. He or she will make you feel comfortable and then take advantage of you. Falling prey to an adjuster’s tricks reduces your chances of getting the trucking company to fully compensate you for the damage from the accident.