The Insurance Company's Playbook: 7 Tactics They Use to Pay You Less

After an injury, the adjuster sounds helpful and the process feels routine. It is routine, but the routine is designed to protect the insurer's money, not yours. None of this is illegal, and adjusters are not villains. They follow a playbook. Once you can see the plays, they lose most of their power.

Here are the seven you are most likely to meet.

1. The fast, friendly first call

A quick, warm call within a day or two builds rapport and gets you talking before you have advice. The goal is to lock in your version of events early, while you are rattled and underinformed.

What to do: Be polite, be brief, and do not give a recorded statement or discuss fault. "I'm still treating, so I can't get into details yet" is a complete answer.

2. The lowball first offer

The first number almost always arrives before anyone knows the full cost of your injury. It is the cheapest moment for the insurer to close your file for good.

What to do: Do not accept until your treatment gives a clear picture. Once you sign a release, you usually cannot reopen the claim.

3. The recorded statement

You are told it is "just routine." In reality, the questions are built to get you to minimize your injuries or admit partial fault in your own words.

What to do: You are not required to give one. Decline until you have spoken with someone who represents you.

4. Weaponizing your medical history

If you have any prior injury or condition, expect the insurer to argue your pain was "pre-existing" and not caused by this accident.

What to do: Be honest about your history, but let your treating doctors connect your current injury to the event. Consistent medical records are your strongest answer.

5. The delay

Slow responses, repeated requests for the same documents, and quiet stretches are not always disorganization. Delay pressures injured people who have bills to give up or settle cheap.

What to do: Keep records of every contact. A firm that follows up on a schedule removes the insurer's advantage here.

6. The independent medical exam (IME)

The insurer may send you to "an independent" doctor. That doctor is chosen and paid by the insurer, and their report often downplays your injury.

What to do: Understand the exam is adversarial. Know what to expect before you go, and do not exaggerate or minimize.

A single photo of you smiling at a family event can be used to argue you are not really hurt, stripped of all context.

What to do: Lock down your privacy settings and post nothing about your accident, your activities, or your recovery.

The common thread

Every tactic above works best on someone who is alone, unsure, and in a hurry. That is the real reason to talk to an attorney early: not because your case is necessarily large, but because it levels a field that is tilted by design.

If an offer is on the table and you are not sure it is fair, a free review will tell you where you stand before you sign anything.