Dangers of Working with the Insurance Company Without a Lawyer

Is it OK to work with an insurance company without a lawyer to represent you and your interests? Sometimes the answer is “yes”. But there are cases in which you need a lawyer’s help. Brother Rutter explains the two things to look out for when working with an insurance company.

Video Transcription

This is Brother Rutter from Rutter Mills. I want to talk to you a second about dealing with the insurance company without the benefit of a lawyer. Now and again, we have people who hire us, and they have been working months with the insurance company and they’ve finally figured out that the insurance company is not actually there to help them. Remember, insurance companies are for profit institutions. Their job, when a car accident happens, is to lower the amount that their employer (the insurance company) has to pay. So, if you deal with the insurance company, be careful and keep your eyes open and, as we say, your antennae up to hear what’s going on.

Now and again, an insurance company will make you a decent offer in the very beginning. And if they do, take it! And if you have a question on whether it’s a reasonable offer, call me and I’ll talk it through with you and let you know. However, there are a couple of tricks that the insurance company will try to play on you in the beginning. And if they try to play one of these two tricks, run away and find a lawyer, whether its Rutter Mills or somebody else. If one of these two things happens, you need to find a lawyer quickly.

The first is that they want a recorded statement from you without you having a lawyer present. Remember, they’re going to have legal representation from hundreds of lawyers that the insurance company may have on call or that might even work for the insurance company. So, they’re getting advice from this statement, but you’re not. So, if they want a recorded statement, say “no thank you” and find a lawyer.

Number two: they want you to sign documents to give them all of your medical records. Without legal representation to decide what they can and what they can’t see, by giving them that document you are opening up your entire medical life to the insurance company without legal representation. If they ask you to do that, they’re looking for something to use against you. They’re not there to help you, they’re there to work against you.

So, if either one of those two things happens (a recorded statement or a document they want you to sign for all your medical records) call a lawyer now.