THE INSURANCE COMPANY WILL ASK YOU TO SIGN PAPERS GIVING UP YOUR RIGHTS
The insurance company won’t tell you that when someone else hits you, even if all you end up with is neck or back soreness or stiffness, and even if it’s only when you overdo it that you have continuing pain or soreness, you should still receive a money settlement for that injury. Not only will the insurance company not tell you that, but if you speak with the insurance company adjuster on your own, they will use what you say about your injury against you and when it comes to a settlement, they will probably say your injury does not qualify for a settlement, or only a very small settlement. You should know that every time you speak with the insurance adjuster, they will either be recording the conversation or taking extensive notes about everything you say. That is why it is very risky to speak directly with the insurance adjuster rather than have an attorney do it for you, because you will probably answer the insurance adjuster’s questions in a way that can be easily used against you later on to deny you a settlement, or reduce your settlement in an unfair way. And you will have to continue to speak with the insurance company and answer questions because they will keep calling you on a regular basis until you either get an attorney or settle your case.
Another document the insurance company will ask you to sign will be a release. The insurance company will usually not explain what you are signing, but signing a document like that can result in your losing any right to any further compensation. It is also important not to sign this kind of document, or settle your case at all, until your medical treatment is finished and your doctor has done a final evaluation report, and an attorney has told you what you should be entitled to as a settlement. Once you sign a release form, you normally cannot go back and undo it, even if it turns out you didn’t really understand what you were signing.
