If you’ve had any experience dealing with an insurance company, you’ll know that things are never straightforward and getting your claim processed can be extremely difficult and at times, near impossible. In our experience, one of the ways insurance companies seek to deny claims is by using weasel words.
At Life Matters Claims we are passionate about people. We want you to be fully armed with the knowledge you need to make a successful insurance claim. That’s why we’ve put together a series of articles and videos to help you familiarise yourself with weasel words and phrases commonly used in the industry.
In this first article of the series, we want to start by giving you a general rundown of what weasel words are, and how they might affect your insurance claim.
What is a weasel word?
So, what is a weasel word? Let’s start with a simple definition; Merriam Webster defines the term ‘weasel word’ as “a word used in order to evade or retreat from a direct or forthright statement or position.”
Whether or not you realise it, you would have heard weasel words being used at some point in your life. You might have heard a politician using weasel words to avoid taking a definite stance on an issue by saying something like ‘to my knowledge…’. This phrase allows the speaker to make a statement without directly claiming it is true.
You may have been part of a corporate organisation that used terms such as ‘reorganisation’ and ‘restructuring’ which is a less direct, roundabout way of saying that people will likely be losing their jobs.
In the world of insurance, weasel words are used as a way for companies to avoid being specific about the circumstances under which you might be eligible for an insurance claim. This vagueness allows for flexibility in defining what is a legitimate claim, giving the company more opportunity to deny the claim. Some of the more common examples of weasel words in the insurance industry include phrases such as ‘pre-existing conditions’ and ‘default cover’.
How can weasel words affect your insurance claim?
When you are injured or unexpectedly become ill, insurance is supposed to provide financial support while you navigate through this difficult period in your life. Unfortunately, insurance companies don’t care about what you are going through and are only focused on their own profit. The use of weasel words is one way in which an insurance company can prevent you from receiving the financial support you need. This is something you should be aware of when it comes to investing in insurance. If you are planning on making a claim, read through the conditions of your policy carefully and pay close attention to anything that is vaguely worded or could have multiple interpretations.
How can you avoid weasel words negatively affecting your insurance claim?
When it comes to going up against insurance companies, it all comes down to understanding the industry terminology. Insurance companies rely on the fact that most of their customers are not familiar with the terminology used throughout their policies. If everyone was fluent in insurance terminology, it would be too easy to make a claim.
At Life Matters Claims we are experts in the terminology of the insurance industry, and this makes it easier for us to help our clients make successful claims. Unlike insurance companies, we DO care about what you are going through and we want to do what we can to support you in your time of need. That’s why we have put together a series of blog posts and videos to be released over the coming months to help you become an expert in weasel words. Keep an eye out on our website and social platforms for more weasel word content and you’ll be an expert in no time!