They think that if they’re involved in an accident or have an injury, all they have to do is call the insurance company and everything will be taken care of, everything will go smoothly. But by and large, things don’t go smoothly.

Good Case, Zero Offer.

That’s because Illinois insurance companies these days are not interested in paying out even on valid claims. Most people who get a feeling that an insurance company is taking advantage are right. Unfortunately, you should trust your intuition.  

If you think that something fishy is going on and that the insurance company is trying to take advantage of you, they probably are.

Many of these insurance companies in Illinois write state minimum-level policy limits, or they include small, tiny fine print in the insurance policies that nobody reads. However, these really limit the consumer’s rights.

Do Not Make It Easy For Them

There are any number of things that somebody can do or say to an insurance company early on in the claims process that will later on cause them to lose the claim. Or, it can cause the insurance company to deny coverage completely.

That’s really the reason why I wrote my Injury CHeat Sheet and why I offer it for free to people whether they have a case or not. (You can get your free copy by filling out the form at the bottom of this page) I want to let people know what’s going on in the business these days and what you learn may shock you.

Even some people who previously had an injury claim or a lawsuit will be surprised about how things operate in the business today.

Problems with Insurance Companies

Sometimes, people never had a hassle with their insurance company. That is why when they are involved in an accident and suffer an injury, they are really surprised that their insurance company suddenly turns into their enemy.

Another instance is that the other guy’s insurance company will not give them a straight answer or sometimes, even return their telephone call. Insurance companies in injury cases can either play “good cop” or “bad cop.”  

In other words, they may never return your phone calls, put you on hold, or act very rude to you when you speak to them about your claim. They do this to try to make you give up and abandon your claim.  

Believe it or not, many injured people give up and never recover on their injury case because they get so fed up with the bad behavior of the insurance company. So much so that they forget about the whole thing.

Another example of an insurance company taking advantage could be the “good cop” behavior. This is when the insurance company is very nice to you on the phone, promises to get right back to you and then strings you along.

They do this hoping that your Statute of Limitations deadline to file a lawsuit will expire. When you get them on the phone, they apologize for not calling you back. Every time you talk to them, they need “one more” bit of information or document before they can make you an offer.  

Good Cop, Bad Cop

At least, that is what they tell you. The reality is that whether they are nice to you or rude to you, insurance companies make money by collecting premiums and denying claims.

It does not matter to an insurance company that is taking advantage of whether they are denying a good, strong injury claim or a hard case. All they know is that they get rewarded for saving the insurance company money. They do that by paying very little or nothing in an injury case.

You have to make a choice as to how you want to respond to an insurance company that is taking advantage. You can either give up and let them get away with it, or you can decide to do something about it.

It is shocking because, for the money you pay, you deserve good service. However, the field of personal injury has seemed to be a slow march towards incivility and outright obstruction and deception.