The “3 P’s” Insurance Companies Use to Undervalue Your Case
Hi, I’m Shane Smith from Shane Smith Law.
One thing we see all the time when dealing with insurance companies is this:
They don’t always deny a claim outright.
Instead, they look for ways to attack the value of your case.
We call these the “3 P’s.”
Priors
“This injury didn’t come from this accident.”
Insurance companies will often argue:
- You had a prior injury
- You had a prior claim
- Your pain is coming from something before the accident
Their goal is simple:
👉 Shift blame away from the crash
Even if:
- You were fully healed before
- The new accident clearly made things worse
They will still try to say your condition is not related.
Property Damage
“The crash wasn’t bad enough to hurt you.”
This is one of the most common arguments.
They look at the car and say:
- “There’s not much damage”
- “This was a low-impact collision”
- “You couldn’t be seriously injured”
But that logic doesn’t hold up.
A simple way to think about it:
👉 You don’t judge what’s inside based on what the outside looks like
Just like you would open an egg carton even if it looks fine,
you can’t assume someone isn’t hurt just because the car doesn’t look bad.
In fact:
- A significant percentage of people in low-impact crashes still suffer real injuries
Profit
“Your treatment costs too much.”
This is where they focus on the money side of your care.
They may argue:
- Your doctor charges too much
- Your treatment was unnecessary
- You had “too many” visits
- You didn’t need certain procedures
Examples:
- “You only needed 20 therapy visits, not 30”
- “You didn’t need that third injection”
This is not about your recovery.
It’s about reducing what they have to pay.
Why This Matters
These three tactics are used to:
- Delay your case
- Lower settlement offers
- Create doubt about your injuries
And if you’re not prepared for them, they can significantly impact your recovery.
The Bottom Line
Insurance companies don’t just evaluate claims.
They challenge them from every angle:
- Your past
- The crash itself
- The cost of your care
Understanding these “3 P’s” puts you in a much stronger position.
If you have questions about your case or feel like an insurance company is using one of these tactics talk to your lawyer.
You can also request our free Victim’s Survival Guide to Car Accidents here:
👉 https://www.shanesmithlaw.com/car-accident-victim-survival-guide/
Or visit:
👉 https://www.shanesmithlaw.com/
In pain? Call Shane.
📞 980-999-9999
