LEGAL GUIDE 05 • INSURANCE TACTICS

How Insurance Adjusters Lowball Georgia Accident Settlements — And How to Fight Back

Insurance companies are for-profit corporations. Their adjusters are trained in dozens of techniques to reduce the compensation they pay accident victims. Recognizing these tactics before you speak to anyone is the first step to protecting your claim and securing the average car accident settlement in Georgia you are entitled to.

Tactic 1: The Quick, Lowball Settlement Offer

Expect contact from the at-fault driver's insurer within 24 to 72 hours. The adjuster may offer a settlement check before you have finished treating your injuries — or before you know whether any of them are permanent. Accepting this offer releases the insurer from all future liability, even if your medical bills multiply next month. Never accept a first offer without consulting a Georgia personal injury attorney.

Tactic 2: The Recorded Statement Request

The adjuster asks to "take a quick recorded statement just for our records." This recording will be analyzed for inconsistencies, minimizations of pain, admissions of partial fault, and anything that undermines your credibility. You have no obligation to provide one to the opposing insurer. This is especially critical when the at-fault motorist was a distracted driver in Georgia and the adjuster is trying to trick you into admitting fault. Decline politely and let your attorney communicate on your behalf from that point forward.

Tactic 3: Blaming Pre-Existing Conditions

If your medical records reveal prior back pain, arthritis, degenerative disc disease, or any previous injury to the same body part, the insurer will argue your current suffering predates the accident. Georgia courts reject this strategy under the "eggshell plaintiff" doctrine — defendants take their victims as they find them. An attorney counters this with targeted medical expert testimony linking your current condition directly to the crash.

Tactic 4: Investigating and Surveilling You

Large insurance companies routinely hire investigators to photograph or video accident victims in their daily activities. A photo of you carrying a bag of groceries can be characterized as proof that your injury claims are exaggerated. Be mindful of your public activities and strictly limit social media posts for the duration of your claim.

Tactic 5: Disputing Medical Necessity

Insurers routinely claim that certain treatments — specialist visits, MRI scans, extended physical therapy — were "unnecessary" or "excessive." Your treating physicians and Awad Law Firm document the medical necessity of every treatment and respond directly to any attempts to characterize your care as unreasonable.

Tactic 6: Creating Gaps in Your Medical History

If you miss medical appointments or go weeks without treatment, the insurer argues your injuries cannot be serious. Even when you feel better, follow your doctor's recommended treatment plan to its conclusion. Gaps in treatment are treated as gaps in injury by insurance defense teams.

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