The 7 Tactics Insurance Companies Use to Underpay You
Tactic 1: The Quick Settlement Call Within days of your accident, an adjuster calls with a “generous” offer. They want you to settle before you know the full extent of your injuries. The amount sounds reasonable — until you realize your medical bills will be 5x higher than expected.
Tactic 2: The Recorded Statement “We just need a recorded statement for our file.” Every word you say will be analyzed for inconsistencies, admissions of fault, or statements that minimize your injuries. Politely decline until you have legal counsel.
Tactic 3: The Medical Authorization Form They ask you to sign a broad medical authorization so they can “verify your injuries.” What they’re really doing is fishing for pre-existing conditions they can use to reduce your payout.
Tactic 4: The Comparative Fault Gambit Under Georgia’s modified comparative fault law (O.C.G.A. § 51-12-33), they inflate your percentage of fault. If they can pin 50% on you, they pay nothing. Even 30% “fault” reduces your payout by 30%.
Tactic 5: The Delay Game They slow-walk your claim — requesting the same documents repeatedly, claiming files were lost, transferring your case to new adjusters. The goal: financial pressure forces you to settle cheap.
Tactic 6: Disputing Medical Treatment They argue your treatment was “excessive” or “unnecessary” — hiring their own medical reviewers to second-guess your doctors.
Tactic 7: The Surveillance Trap They hire private investigators to follow you, photograph you, and monitor your social media. One photo of you carrying groceries can be used to argue you’re “not really injured.”
How to Fight Back
- Don’t give a recorded statement without an attorney
- Don’t sign broad medical authorizations
- Don’t accept the first offer — it’s almost never their best
- Don’t post on social media about your accident, injuries, or activities
- Do hire an attorney who knows these tactics and has a track record of defeating them
- Do document everything — every conversation, every offer, every delay
