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Common insurance company tactics

Insurance companies often employ strategies to minimize payouts in truck accident claims. Recognizing these tactics helps victims and their attorneys counter them effectively.

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  • Truck Accident Law Team
  • 2 min read
Article 4 of 6 in Insurance in Truck Accidents/

Common Insurance Company Tactics in Truck Accident Cases

1. Quick, Lowball Settlement Offers

  • Insurers may offer early settlements that seem attractive but fail to cover long-term medical costs or lost income.
  • Goal: Close the case before victims fully realize the extent of damages.

2. Delaying the Claim Process

  • Repeated requests for documents or prolonged investigations.
  • Designed to pressure financially strained victims into accepting less.

3. Shifting Blame

  • Suggesting the victim was partially or fully at fault.
  • Attempting to reduce liability under comparative or contributory negligence laws.

4. Disputing Medical Treatment

  • Arguing that certain treatments were unnecessary or unrelated to the accident.
  • Hiring independent medical examiners (IMEs) to contradict treating physicians.

5. Downplaying Injuries

  • Claiming injuries were pre-existing or less severe than reported.
  • Minimizing pain and suffering to reduce non-economic damages.

6. Misinterpreting Policy Language

  • Using complex or ambiguous terms to deny coverage.
  • Arguing that certain losses fall outside the scope of the policy.

7. Surveillance and Monitoring

  • Hiring investigators to watch claimants in hopes of catching inconsistencies.
  • For example, filming a victim performing physical activities to dispute injury claims.

8. Offering Structured Settlements Unfavorably

  • Proposing structured payments that benefit the insurer rather than the claimant.
  • Limiting victims’ access to immediate funds.
  • Many of these tactics can amount to bad faith insurance practices if they cross the line into dishonesty or intentional misconduct.
  • Attorneys are trained to recognize and challenge these strategies through negotiation or litigation.

Summary: Insurance companies frequently use delay, denial, and underpayment tactics to limit compensation in truck accident claims. Awareness of these strategies allows victims and their lawyers to protect their rights and pursue fair settlements.

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Truck Accident Law Team

Written by : Truck Accident Law Team

Attorneys, investigators, and legal writers focused on U.S. trucking safety, litigation strategy, and victim advocacy.

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