If you’ve been in an auto accident recently, the CNN report “Auto Insurers Play Hardball in Minor-Crash Claims” probably sounds like business as usual. The report, published in February 2009, highlights the insurance industry strategy of deny, delay, defend.

While the insurance companies may want you to believe the strategies of “take or leave it”, “deny, delay, defend”, and “deny, delay, confuse and refuse” are to eliminate cases involving insurance fraud, these strategies, implemented in the mid 1990′s per recommendations from the consulting giant McKinsey & CO., are in reality, tactics to boost the insurance compaines profits at the expense of consumers.

In November of 2008, The American Association for Justice published their report Deny, Delay, Confuse and Refuse, which uncovered strategies that included consistently denying claims and delaying claims in some cases until the insured had died. Other tactics include confusing consumers with incomprehensible contracts, discriminating by credit score, canceling policies of those whose medical conditions become expensive to treat and canceling their policy when a policy holder files a claim.

So, when it comes to Insurance, its buyer beware. Your insurance company may not have your best interest in mind when it comes to settling your claim. Your best defense is to become an educated consumer.