After you've been injured, insurance companies will send you medical authorizations as quickly as possible. They will often attempt to obtain your medical records related to the injury and many records that predate the accident as well.
Most people don't realize that these authorizations often include language that gives the insurance companies and their lawyers the right to contact your doctors to discuss your case. If you sign an authorization with this language, they could talk or write to your doctors behind your back! Believe it or not, there have been cases where surveillance tapes of the injured person were sent to his own doctor who then changed his opinion to the detriment of his patient.
Even if you already signed a medical authorization, it can be revoked. Contact KBA attorneys to learn how to protect yourself.
Most injured people do not realize that the very insurance adjusters they are talking to about their case may have hired investigators to conduct video surveillance. They may tape you carrying groceries, mowing your lawn, or even going on vacation. They may talk to your neighbors and co-workers to learn about your activities.
If you have medical restrictions from your doctor, you should do your best to fully comply with those restrictions. Failure to do so may jeopardize your case. Contact KBA attorneys to learn how to protect yourself.
Insurance adjusters love tape-recorded statements. Adjusters will often act like your friend, tell you that they only want to know the truth and assure you that eventually you will get the compensation you deserve.
But in fact, insurance adjusters are trained to defend injury claims. Their job is to protect the insurance company's interests, not yours. They know the laws, they consult with insurance company attorneys and they know how to ask the right questions and avoid the wrong ones.
The adjuster will carefully word her questions in order to obtain information that can be used against you, either to deny your case or for cross examination, if the matter proceeds to trial. In Personal Injury cases, the recorded statement may be obtained by the injured party's attorney, but in Workers' Compensation claims, it does not have to be shared before cross examination. These taped statements are often given by people who trust the person on the other end of the line, or those that assume the system will help them because their injuries are real. While not uncommon, this is a naive view that lacks a true understanding that the purpose of the insurance company is to save money, not spend it. There are many other ways they can manipulate an injured party or disadvantage a case, even after the claim is accepted.
No matter how nice they may be or appear to be, insurance company adjusters are not paid to look out for you. Contact KBA attorneys to learn how to protect yourself.
Many people injured in an accident make two mistakes:
First, some people wait too long to seek treatment. If you are hurt in an accident, it is essential to get a timely medical exam. A trained physician will know how to determine the nature of your injuries. Sometimes your life depends on early intervention. Many times, injuries can be treated more effectively with early intervention. Insurance companies often deny claims based on a delay in treatment. They argue that if the impact caused injuries, you would have sought treatment sooner.
Second, injured people often fail to tell their doctors all of their symptoms. Some might think the symptoms aren't related to the accident or just don't want to seem like a complainer. Patients often don't realize they have a serious accident-related injury until they see that their symptoms just won't go away. By then the insurance company has every reason to deny that the accident had anything to do with the injury, and will refuse to be responsible for any treatment arising out of the "new" complaints.
Contact KBA attorneys to learn how to protect yourself.