Conversations with insurance companies need to be highly strategic. You should be careful what you say to your workers’ compensation adjuster because misspeaking during these conversations could lead to the company denying your claim.
Everything that you say during conversations with the insurance company can be a cause for claim denial. Before discussing anything with the insurance company—whether on the phone, email, or in-person—read up on best practices for these interactions.
How To Prepare for Discussions With a Workers’ Compensation Insurance Company
Before engaging with an adjuster or anyone else from the workers’ compensation insurance company, have a look at the following best practices. These will help protect your claim and your ability to collect compensation for your workplace injury.
- Avoid recorded statements. You have no obligation to allow the insurance adjuster to record your conversation. Therefore, always politely decline the adjuster’s request to record your conversations. Requesting a recorded statement is a tactic that insurance companies use to gather details to decline claims.
- Redirect casual conversations. Engaging in casual conversations with the insurance adjuster is another tool that they use to get you to share details or information you wouldn’t disclose otherwise. In these casual conversations, they might get you to talk about everyday activities that could show you are not as injured as you claim to be. If the conversation feels too casual, redirect it to speaking solely about your workplace accident and the details surrounding it.
- Do not answer questions about family or financial situations. The insurance company does not need to know any details about your personal life or family scenarios.
- Take notes during all conversations. Write down any questions that the adjuster asks and all the topics that you discuss. This will help you during conversations with your attorney and guide him or her in spotting any red flags in your interactions.
- When discussing injuries, be extremely inclusive. Failing to mention even the slightest ache or pain in a certain area of the body could mean that the insurance company doesn’t cover injury to that area of the body.
- Be honest about pre-existing conditions. The presence of a pre-existing condition does not mean that you won’t get coverage for that aspect of your injury. Aggravations to pre-existing conditions are covered under workers’ compensation.
- Never agree to anything before your workers’ compensation attorney has time to review it. This includes any documents that the insurance company requests that you sign.
When To Involve an Indiana Workers’ Compensation Attorney
Shortly after experiencing a workplace injury, it’s smart to discuss the incident with a workers’ compensation attorney. An attorney will alert you to tactics the insurance company might try to employ to deny your claim or trap you into providing information you wouldn’t otherwise supply.
Stewart & Stewart offers free consultations to guide victims of workplace injuries in dealing with their workers’ compensation claims appropriately. We’ll explain common case pitfalls and help you protect your rights throughout every stage of the claims process. Contact us now to set up your free consultation.