Insurance companies will always try to avoid liability for accidents whenever possible. If an adjuster cannot deny a claim outright, they will certainly try to minimize the compensation the company pays. Especially if the bicyclist was not wearing a helmet at the time, they will grab onto this and use it to deny or undervalue a bicycle accident claim. An insurance adjuster might try to convince and deter the injured party from going after a claim at all because they were not wearing a helmet. Nevertheless, the injured party is entitled to compensation if the driver involved was negligent or malicious in their actions toward the bicyclist. Before speaking to or giving too much information to insurance companies, you should always first speak to your attorney. There are a few different, well-known tricks that insurance companies use on the injured party, among many others: Passing your claim from person to person: They will intentionally pass it around their company. They complicate the situation further, hoping you will give up and get frustrated enough to settle for less. Offering you less: A claims adjuster will not necessarily consider the numerous factors that should come into the case’s value. They will throw a few numbers in and calculate based on what they feel is convenient. They will not automatically consider all the expenses that result from an accident, such as future medical costs and loss of wages and productivity. They often undervalue intangible losses, such as pain and suffering - especially with a TBI. Refusing to negotiate fairly: The claims adjuster will do all they can to avoid negotiating a better offer for you. Like a salesman, they will claim that the lowest offer they gave you is the best they can do or make minimally higher offers. Discouraging you to contact a lawyer: It is not convenient for insurance companies for you to be working with an attorney. They rather the individual be utterly unfamiliar with the claim process, so it’s easier for them to convince you to settle for less. Asking you for a recorded statement: They will try and get you to talk more than you should in hopes that you’ll provide information that will help them undermine the value of your losses. After a TBI, it is best to allow your bicycle accident lawyer to handle all communications with insurance companies. This protects your interests and relieves stress from your shoulders.