When you get into an accident of any kind, there are some things that you simply can’t avoid. You will have to deal with doctors, police reports and insurance; mostly, you’ll think it’ll be simpler to just do it yourself. But simple doesn’t always mean easy or correct.
The do-it-yourself movement has a long and storied history. However, with personal injuries and insurance claims, doing it yourself is in no way as straightforward as building a shed. Insurance companies built their business on making the claims process anything but direct, and here a few examples of how:
Initial denials
In many cases, insurers deny initial claims for any reason. When insurers deny a claim, that tends to discourage people and make it more likely they’ll try to just deal with the medical bills themselves.
Implying that fault means you don’t deserve compensation
New York’s comparative fault law means that if you were partially at fault for your accident, then your potential claim amount is smaller than it otherwise would have been. It does not mean you deserve no compensation at all.
Minimizing payouts
Even if your insurance company accepts your claim and doesn’t imply you were at fault, they’ll still seek every available option to minimize your payout. And when you see the size of medical bills for even routine testing, you’ll understand how essential proper compensation is.
An insurance company is a business; their goal is not your health. Their goal is paying as little for your health as possible.
Experience matters
Self-sufficiency is a wonderful thing. Ingenuity and willingness to take on a complex task is part of what makes New Yorkers great.
However, in personal injury claims, the deck is stacked against you. A personal injury attorney unstacks the deck, lays the cards out, and shows you how to build a winning hand.