Insurance adjusters work on behalf of for-profit insurance companies and may use delay tactics and lowball offers to wear you down. Stay calm and polite to increase your chances of a fair settlement.
Do not sign a blanket medical release and make no recorded statements – this gives them the chance to use any discrepancies in your story against you later.
Be Prepared
Insurance adjusters use various tactics to limit how much they pay out in claims. A number of these include intimidating the claimant and it is crucial that those filing claims be aware of these strategies and know how best to address them. Preparation involves knowing your rights, staying informed, being patient and not giving in to intimidation; additionally hiring experienced counsel such as Varghese Summersett personal injury attorney could prove invaluable in terms of negotiations tactics and insurance law compliance.
One of the primary tactics employed by insurance adjusters to create stress and frustration in claimants is delaying decisions, hoping you will tire yourself out and accept lower settlement offers. Another tactic may include using technical language to make a claim seem more complicated than it actually is; or exerting pressure by repeatedly asking for documentation or prolonging wait times.
Staying organized and keeping records can make the claims process simpler for all involved parties. For example, keeping track of medical expenses, repair bills, lost wages and any other financial impacts related to an accident is critical in reaching an equitable settlement agreement.
Even if you feel responsible, never admit guilt for an accident, even if that admission could be taken as an admission of fault and could prove devastating for your claim. Before making a recorded statement or giving interviews without first consulting an attorney first. An attorney will help assess if giving such a statement would benefit your claim, while taking over communications with insurance adjusters on your behalf.
Be Patient
Insurance adjusters aren’t your friends – their job is to protect the interests of their for-profit employer by trying to get you to accept as little money for your personal injury claim as possible. Therefore, it is vital that you remain calm during these discussions rather than allow anger take control.
Insurance adjusters often try to use statements they hear against you in court. When answering questions like how you’re feeling or whether injuries have impacted daily activities, always answer in a neutral tone such as, ‘I don’t know yet.
Limit your phone conversations with an insurance adjuster as much as possible, especially as they are likely to contact you frequently and try to rush you into settling quickly. Instead, it would be wiser to opt for email correspondence as this will allow you to keep a record of all communications that take place with them.
Do not accept a settlement that doesn’t adequately cover your medical bills and losses. Insurance adjusters will often make lowball offers in hopes that you are too exhausted or desperate to negotiate further; don’t accept the first offer you receive and always document this agreement in writing.
If you feel intimidated by an insurance adjuster, seek assistance from an experienced personal injury attorney. A knowledgeable attorney will possess both knowledge and negotiating abilities necessary for fighting for a fair personal injury settlement on your behalf.
Be Honest
Honesty is a key rule that may be difficult to follow when working with insurance claims adjusters, yet failing to be upfront could compromise your claim and limit its success. Failure to disclose facts accurately could prevent you from receiving full settlement for an accident or injury claim.
Insurance companies are for-profit businesses with an incentive to reduce claims payments as much as possible, which means their adjusters often pursue claims aggressively and without ethics or conscience. Lying to an insurer could cost both financially and in terms of premium increases due to being classified in a high risk category.
Adjusters often start off their negotiations by offering you an insufficient settlement offer, hoping you will accept it out of desperation and quickly close the case. Do not be taken in by such tactics and reject their initial proposal in order to show your strength; your claim deserves fair compensation that covers medical bills, pain and suffering and any losses associated with an accident or injury.
Insurance companies will attempt to get you to provide an immediate recorded statement so they can gather evidence against you later. Therefore, it is wise to always consult with a lawyer prior to providing one of these statements.
Though it might be tempting to exaggerate injuries or damage in order to improve your claim, doing so will only backfire and hinder it in the end. An unethical insurance company could use your statements against you and even deny your claim altogether if they discover that they were lies; plus fines and penalties could ensue should this occur.
Be Polite
No matter how angry you may be with an at-fault driver, it is still essential to remain polite with their insurance adjuster. Saying anything that could compromise your claim could backfire; for instance apologizing even when not responsible could be seen as admitting liability and used against you later. Furthermore, remember that phone conversations with insurance adjusters may be recorded – anything said, even casually or offhand could later be used against you in court proceedings.
Insurance companies are well known to use various tactics to deny or reduce claims. They may attempt to claim that your injuries don’t merit compensation, or question your account of what happened during an accident. Delay tactics may also be employed with the aim of wearing down claimants until they agree to accept a low settlement offer and give up altogether.
Never be intimidated into giving an insurance adjuster your opinion, while remaining polite and professional at all times. If a conversation becomes heated, simply inform them it is not an appropriate time for further discussions and schedule another meeting or phone call instead.
As such, hiring an experienced personal injury attorney may be your best strategy in dealing with insurance adjusters. A legal representative knows all about Florida insurance law and can fight on your behalf in court should necessary. Furthermore, hiring one shows an insurance adjuster that you mean business and are willing to go the extra mile in pursuit of compensation that you are due.
Don’t Accept the First Offer
If an insurance adjuster offers you an unfavorable offer for your claim, don’t accept it immediately. They are trying to limit their company’s financial exposure so their initial offer might seem low; but keep in mind they work for a for-profit corporation and their primary goal should be protecting the interests of their employer.
Insurance adjusters will attempt to wear you down with endless delays and lowball offers from insurance adjusters, but do not succumb. Instead, stay calm and direct all communication to your attorney so they can manage negotiations on your behalf allowing you to focus on recovering from injuries more quickly.
When an adjuster attempts to get you talking over the phone or in person, make sure not to say anything that could later be used against you. This is particularly important if they ask for a recorded statement; instead refer them back to your lawyer so they can take down a written statement instead.
Initial offers made by insurance adjusters tend to be low; rejecting it doesn’t signal an end to negotiations; rather, your adjuster may make a counteroffer and you can continue negotiations until reaching a mutually agreeable settlement. If an adjuster becomes unwilling or hostile during this process, it would be prudent to request another adjuster be assigned as quickly as possible.
Maintain records of expenses and losses associated with an accident, including medical bills, lost wages, property damage and personal injuries. Doing this can help strengthen your case when seeking compensation from the insurance adjuster.