# How Insurance Companies Lowball Your Claim (And What to Do About It)
After an accident, you expect the insurance company to be on your side. After all, you — or the at-fault driver — paid premiums for exactly this situation. The reality, however, is that insurance companies are corporations with one goal: pay out as little as possible.
At Gonzalez Munoz Law, we've spent decades watching adjusters use the same playbook. Here's what they do, why it works on unrepresented claimants, and how we stop it.
1. They Call You Within Days — Before You Know How Serious Your Injuries Are
The moment an adjuster contacts you after an accident, they aren't calling to help. They're calling to get a recorded statement while you're still in shock, before you've been fully evaluated by a doctor, and before you have an attorney.
Why this hurts you: Soft-tissue injuries — whiplash, herniated discs, nerve damage — often don't fully manifest for days or weeks. If you say "I'm okay, just a little sore" on a recorded call, that statement will be used against you later when your injuries turn out to be far more serious.
What to do: Politely decline to give a recorded statement. Tell them you'll have your attorney in touch. You are not legally required to give a statement to the other driver's insurance company.
2. The Quick-Settlement Offer
Before you've even finished treatment, the adjuster may offer you a check — sometimes within days of the accident. It might seem generous in the moment. It almost never is.
Why this hurts you: Once you accept and sign a release, you waive all future claims related to that accident. If your back surgery costs $80,000 six months later, that $4,500 check is all you'll ever see.
What to do: Never accept a settlement before you've reached maximum medical improvement (MMI) — the point at which your doctors can accurately assess the full extent of your injuries and future care needs.
3. Disputing Medical Treatment as "Unnecessary"
Adjusters routinely deny claims for specific medical treatments — MRIs, specialist visits, physical therapy — by claiming they were "not medically necessary" or "not related to the accident."
Why this hurts you: Without those records, your documented damages shrink. Smaller documented damages = smaller settlement offer.
What to do: Follow your doctor's orders and keep every bill, every record, every prescription. An attorney can retain independent medical experts to counter the insurer's hired reviewers.
4. Blaming You for the Accident (Comparative Fault)
Florida follows modified comparative negligence. If you're found more than 50% at fault, you recover nothing. Even if you're 20% at fault, your award is reduced by 20%. Adjusters know this, and they'll often argue you were partially responsible — even when you clearly weren't.
Why this hurts you: Reducing your fault percentage to zero, or at least to a minor number, is critical to maximizing your recovery. Adjusters count on you not knowing the law.
What to do: Don't admit any fault at the scene or in conversations with adjusters. Let an attorney investigate and build the evidence: police reports, witness statements, traffic camera footage, black box data.
5. Delaying, Delaying, Delaying
Insurance companies have a financial incentive to delay. Every month they hold your money is another month that money is working for them. They may request redundant documentation, "lose" paperwork, or go quiet for weeks at a time.
Why this hurts you: Desperation sets in. Bills pile up. Some claimants eventually accept less just to get something.
What to do: Florida law requires insurers to acknowledge claims within 14 days and resolve them within 90 days (with some exceptions). An attorney keeps them accountable to those deadlines and can escalate to bad faith litigation if they stall.
How Gonzalez Munoz Law Fights Back
When you hire us, the adjuster no longer talks to you — they talk to us. Here's what changes immediately:
- No more recorded statements. We handle all communication.
- Full medical documentation. We work with your doctors to ensure every injury is properly documented.
- Independent investigation. We gather evidence the adjuster hopes you won't: surveillance footage, accident reconstruction reports, witness statements.
- Demand letters that hold. We calculate your full damages — medical bills, lost wages, future care, pain and suffering — and present a demand the insurer takes seriously.
- We go to trial if needed. Adjusters lowball attorneys who don't litigate. We do. And they know it.
Don't Face the Insurance Company Alone
The adjuster on the other end of that call has handled thousands of claims. They know exactly what to say to minimize your payout. You deserve someone in your corner with just as much experience — and the track record to prove it.
Gonzalez Munoz Law has recovered millions for clients across Miami-Dade and Broward counties. Our consultation is free, and you pay nothing unless we win.
Call us at 305-770-6666 or contact us online for a free case evaluation today.
Past results do not guarantee future outcomes.