Posted in Car Accident
After a car accident in Green Bay, the insurance process begins almost immediately. Understanding how Wisconsin insurers approach these claims, what adjusters are looking for, and what steps protect an injured driver’s interests is one of the most practical things anyone involved in a Green Bay car accident can know before those first calls and letters arrive.
What Happens on the Insurance Company’s Side After a Green Bay Car Accident
Within hours or days of a car accident claim being filed in Green Bay, an insurance adjuster is assigned to investigate. That adjuster’s role is to evaluate the claim and resolve it for the least amount the facts will support. They review the police report, contact all parties, inspect vehicle damage, and begin building a picture of the accident that protects the insurer’s interests.
Adjusters are trained evaluators who handle dozens of claims at once. An injured person dealing with their first serious car accident is at a significant information disadvantage in those early interactions. Understanding that the adjuster is not a neutral party and is not working in the injured driver’s interest is the first step toward protecting a claim in the Milwaukee area.
The Recorded Statement Request
One of the first things an adjuster handling a Green Bay car accident claim will request is a recorded statement from the injured party. This request often comes within days of the accident, before the injured person fully understands the extent of their injuries or has had the opportunity to review what happened carefully. Recorded statements are used to lock in the injured person’s account of events and to gather statements that can later be used to minimize or dispute the claim.
A Green Bay car accident lawyer handles all communications with insurance companies on the client’s behalf, preventing the most damaging early mistakes from occurring before the injured person understands the value and the vulnerabilities of their claim.
How Insurers Value Car Accident Claims in Wisconsin
Insurance companies evaluate car accident claims based on documented medical expenses, established lost wages, and a multiplier or per diem approach to non-economic damages such as pain and suffering. They heavily discount claims where treatment was delayed, inconsistent, or involves gaps that can be used to argue the injuries were not serious or were unrelated to the accident.
Common tactics used by Green Bay area insurers to reduce claim value include:
- Disputing the causal connection between the accident and the injuries claimed
- Arguing that the injuries were pre-existing or existed before the accident
- Attributing some or all of the fault to the injured driver under Wisconsin’s comparative fault rules
- Offering a low early settlement before the full extent of the injuries is known
- Delaying resolution until the injured person is under financial pressure to settle
How Wisconsin’s Comparative Fault Rule Affects the Insurer’s Approach
Wisconsin follows a modified comparative fault standard, where an injured driver’s recovery is reduced by their percentage of fault and eliminated if they are found more than 50 percent responsible. Insurers in Green Bay are aware of this threshold and investigate actively for any conduct by the plaintiff that supports a higher fault assignment.
Hickey & Turim, S.C. is a Wisconsin personal injury firm representing car accident victims throughout Green Bay and the surrounding area, including cases where insurer tactics require an experienced legal response to protect the full value of the claim.
Protecting Your Green Bay Car Accident Claim From the Start
If you were injured in a car accident in Green Bay, speaking with a Green Bay car accident lawyer before responding to the insurance company is the most effective way to protect your claim from the common early mistakes that reduce what injured drivers recover.
