Why You Shouldn’t Give an Insurance Adjuster Your Health History
Knowing what to do after a car accident can be challenging. You’re struggling with injuries, a damaged or totaled car and the stress of not knowing what comes next. Unfortunately, the decisions you make during this time frame can make or break your personal injury claim.
This is especially true when it comes to how you communicate with the other person’s insurance company. Giving them too much information is basically giving them everything they need to deny you fair compensation. Instead, get the help you deserve by calling Caroselli, Beachler & Coleman at 866-565-4949.
What should you do if the insurance adjuster asks for access to your medical records and health history? Tell them no—and here’s why.
They Don’t Need It
To start, they don’t need that information. That is your personal information, and your question should be “Why should I share it?” instead of “Why shouldn’t I share it?” Chances are, you wouldn’t let your parents or close friends have free and open access to your medical records. Why would you let an insurance adjuster, who has no personal interest in doing what is right for you, do so?
Cooperating With Them Won’t Help You
This is where lots of people get turned around. They believe that cooperating with the insurance company, answering their questions, and doing what they ask will help them as they seek compensation. This is far from the truth.
Your cooperation just makes it easier for them to take advantage of you and pay you an insultingly low settlement. Failing to do what they ask won’t make them angry and force them to yank your settlement offer—remember, they want to avoid court, too. However, cooperating with them will give them a blueprint to chip away at your settlement offer until it’s barely worth discussing.
Your Medical History Will Be Distorted and Used Against You
If you think it would be embarrassing for someone to have access to your full medical records, imagine how much worse it would feel to have those records used against you. You share your medical records in good faith, and the insurance company turns around and uses unrelated incidents and injuries to offer you a pitiful settlement. It really doesn’t matter what is in your health history; they will find a way to use it to hurt your claim.
If you have a history of lower back pain or a scoliosis diagnosis, they’ll suddenly be unwilling to pay for the injury you sustained in the crash. They’ll say it’s not related to the crash—it’s just your old injury rearing its ugly head. If you have a history of misusing pain pills or addiction, they may hit below the belt and claim that your pain reports are obviously falsified and drug-seeking behavior. It does not matter how low, personal, or unfair an attack seems. Insurance companies are ready and willing to use it.
You’ll Likely Receive Less Money
To put it bluntly, giving an insurance adjuster access to your health history does not help you. If it helps anyone, it will assist the insurance company. You don’t get an award for being the most helpful accident victim, so why prioritize working with them?
You deserve to put yourself first. An accident is expensive and you don’t yet know how much your injuries will cost you or how long you will be out of work. You need to advocate for yourself and let them build their own case.
You may wonder—if you can’t cooperate with the insurance company, what should you do instead? It’s time to talk to a personal injury attorney. They are well-versed in the tricks used by insurance companies and they know what it takes to fight back against them. Instead of picking up the phone when the other party’s insurance company calls, reach out to a local personal injury lawyer.
Hurt in a Crash? Call Caroselli, Beachler & Coleman
After you get checked out by a doctor after an accident, your next step should be reaching out to the team at Caroselli, Beachler & Coleman. Our goal is to do what is right for you. Just call us at 866-565-4949 or contact us online to schedule your consultation now.
