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Much like most motor vehicle owners have liability insurance in the event they are involved in a traffic collision, most medical professionals have malpractice insurance to protect them against accusations of professional misconduct made by patients. Accordingly, if you file suit against a doctor for negligently injuring you or making you sick, your negotiations for financial compensation will generally be with the insurance company providing that doctor with malpractice coverage.
Of course, this means that talking to insurance companies is a major component of most Philadelphia medical malpractice cases—and unfortunately, those companies will very likely fight tooth and nail to protect their financial security regardless of whether it harms yours. Fortunately, you have help available from experienced medical malpractice lawyers, who can make sure you say the right things and avoid saying the wrong ones in order to make insurance negotiations go as smoothly as possible for you.
Who Will Actually Be Involved in a Malpractice Case on an Insurer’s Behalf?
While you will likely interact with at least one insurance adjuster assigned to handle your specific case, you should also bear in mind that talking to insurance companies during Philadelphia medical malpractice lawsuits primarily involves talking to lawyers. More specifically, it typically involves consulting with lawyers retained by and often directly employed by the insurance company, specifically to serve as their representatives during both private settlement talks and civil court trials.
You should also be aware that since you will be required by law to have at least one expert witness supporting your malpractice claim, the insurance company will have expert witnesses of their own as well. Furthermore, these experts will virtually always side with the insurance company that is paying them as a matter of practicality—but with help from capable legal counsel, you can often effectively contest the conclusions of the insurance company’s experts with evidence and testimony of your own.
What to Keep in Mind When Talking to Insurance Representatives
Regardless of who specifically you are interacting with or what role they are playing on behalf of the insurance company, you should always be truthful during settlement talks and other proceedings involved in Philadelphia medical malpractice claims. Beyond just staying in compliance with the law, honesty will deny the insurance company any opportunity to claim that, since you lied about one thing, they cannot trust you to be truthful about any part of your injury or subsequent claim.
That said, you should also refrain from providing extraneous details, speculating about anything, or—to the fullest extent possible—letting emotions color how you speak about the harm you have sustained. That, in particular, is something a skilled legal professional can provide absolutely invaluable support with, since they can advocate for you with a slightly more neutral perspective and offer guidance about how to answer questions in ways that will most benefit your case.
A Philadelphia Attorney Can Talk to Insurance Companies in Your Medical Malpractice Case on Your Behalf
Talking to insurance companies in Philadelphia medical malpractice cases is not always an antagonistic experience. Remember, the insurance company represents its own best interests at the end of the day, so if they know you have a strong case and support from a qualified legal professional, they may be much more willing to negotiate a fair settlement than an individual physician whose career and reputation are on the line.
First, though, you will need to obtain support from a capable and compassionate medical malpractice lawyer, such as those at Lowenthal & Abrams. Call today for a free consultation.
