Dear Reader,

My past few posts have been about the tricks reps at insurance companies have up their sleeves.

Anything they try to get you to do “right now” is generally bogus.  Iowa Car Accident victims have 2 years from the date of the accident to file a lawsuit.   There might be some situations that require action on your part within 6 months, but the idea here is not to fall for tricks.  A good warning sign is if they make you feel like the clock is ticking…

If you’ve just been in an accident it’s recommended that you speak to an Iowa Car Accident Attorney.

..said the rep at the car insurance company.

Remember the rep is not your friend and providing them with a statement will not allow them to pay you any faster.

Reps are trained professionals who minimize payments made to car accident victims.  They are telling you this in the hopes you will reveal information they can use against you.  Their questions are designed to get you to admit damaging information that will reduce the value of your personal injury claim.

Our recommendation is to tell them you are happy to talk to them after you have met with an attorney.

Our approach is to be present with our clients and coach them through this process.

In the 1970s Robert Ringer wrote a NY Times best seller called Winning Through Intimidation.  At first glance it could easily be confused as a business book for real estate agents who work on larger deals, but Ringer discourages the reader from making that conclusion and states  that the contents apply to all business dealings.

They certainly do.

Mr. Ringer writes how he literally went from zero to hero, earning close to $1 million in the late 70s.  Not too shabby huh.  One of his biggest early stumbling blocks was repeatedly getting his hands chopped off as a newbie in business.  He writes there are 3 personality types.

Type 1 is like a bully, they don’t always have bad intentions to you but these characters are predictable the way a bully is.  A Type 1 is someone who is transparent, they might be arrogant, they might be nice, but they are not holding a dagger with one arm behind their backs.

Type 2 is someone who rambles on about morals and ethics.  Picture a music mogul preaching about how the industry is all about relationships and good people rewarding others for good work.  Meanwhile he does everything he can to shaft new artists out of royalties earned from album sales.

Type 3′s are the most devious.  They swear that you deserve your part of the bargain but they too are in it to “take your chips.”

Why am I bringing this up?  Because reps are insurance companies are in it to do everything they can to pay you as little as possible – even telling you attorneys are needed and a fast settlement is in your best interests.  They will act like they are your friend but you can be assured they get rewarded for minimizing payments to car accident victims.

Why do they do this?  Simple.  Insurance industry statistics reveal that it costs an average of $9,000 per claim when an attorney is fighting for an injured person.

For more info about what you can do to protect yourself download our guide or contact an Iowa Car Accident Attorney.

There’s a lot of good reasons to be skeptical when companies spend tens of millions of dollars saying their product is “healthy” or good for you.  Similarly there are lots of reasons to be skeptical when insurance companies spend lots of money saying they are “on your side.”  One of the biggest obstacles to getting fair compensation after an Iowa Car Accident actually comes from your own auto insurance company.

This happens when the driver that caused the accident doesn’t have enough insurance to cover all of the damages.  In 2011, the State of Iowa only requires drivers to purchase $20,000 worth of insurance.

So of the driver that rear ends you while stopped at a red light causing you neck injuries doesn’t have enough insurance, you will need to seek compensation from your own insurance company.

Keep in mind that insurance reps are trained to use tactics to reduce the amount of money you feel you deserve.  Insurance companies are big companies with shareholders so they typically go into “pay as little as possible” mode even for people like you religiously paying premiums year after year.

For more information like this exposing the myths of car accident claims, download our guide.  This is critical information to have before you seek out an Iowa Car Accident Attorney.

This is a good question many people ask us.  If you get in a car accident driving your own car or a company vehicle for work related purposes you may be covered by your employers workers comp insurance.

A lot of times car accident victims don’t know this because the insurance companies on both sides tend to jump into everything.  Meanwhile, some employers – worried that a workers comp claim will raise their insurance rates – will often sit back and never mention to their employee that worker’s comp could cover their accident related expenses.

This is 100% wrong and their can be real benefits to having workers comp coverage after a car accident.

For instance you might be able to get accident related medical bills paid for immediately which is a good thing especially if you don’t have your own health insurance.

If a doctor recommends you stop working you can money for wages lost.  If you were in a work related car accident keep in mind that filing a workers comp claim is VERY different than a car accident claim.

Fortunately we are experts with Iowa Workers Compensation Law.  Just fill out the form on this page for a case evaluation because if you were in a work related auto accident the time to act is now.

Unfair Tactics

Did you know that your own insurance can be your biggest obstacle when it comes to getting fair compensation for an accident that was not your fault?  That’s right this can happen.  Under Iowa Car Accident Law, someone only needs $20,000 worth of coverage to drive.   Sometimes people even lie about their coverage in the first place.

What happens if the accident was not your fault, and the other driver does not have enough money in their policy to pay for your medical treatments?  Your own insurance company, yes, the one you’ve been diligently paying for 16 years now, will start to employ all kinds of shady tactics at YOU.