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Strange Secrets of Car Insurance Adjusters
An insurance adjuster researches your accident, studies your policy and decides how much money you should be paid. The car insurance companies adjusters work for always make it seem like they exist to help you after a car accident. But they are mostly interested in making money, which means paying you, as little as possible. Insurance companies will delay, underpay, and do everything to deny you full compensation. Here are some of the tricks insurance adjusters use to pay you less:
You must record a statement
Insurance company adjusters will tell you that you have to record a statement. The truth is that you don’t and you should not. They will also ask you leading questions to try and trip you and gain statements that they can use against you. For example, they might ask you how you are feeling weeks after your accident and if you say “great” or “fine”, they will use that when assessing your claim for injury losses.
You are not obligated to record a statement with the insurance company handling your claim. If they insist, just refer them to your attorney.
You don’t need an attorney
Insurance adjusters will push you to settle your claim quickly and will tell you that you don’t need a lawyer. But a resourceful car accident lawyer has experience dealing with car insurance companies, and will spot their leading questions and read between the lines. According to the Insurance Research Council, if you engage car wreck lawyers you get 40 percent more money compared to someone who doesn’t.
An attorney will spot attempts by insurance companies to trick you.
“Team” Adjusters can handle your claim
Insurance companies may give “team” adjusters your claim. You need to avoid these because they are the adjusters that have the least authority to pay you. They will always work to show that your accident was minor and will ensure you get the lowest claim compared to other adjusters.
Your attorney will instead help you file a car accident lawsuit to gain proper payments. Your claim may then be assigned to an individual adjuster who has more authority and may pay you more.
How to avoid getting paid less than you deserve
Try and record every dollar spent or lost as a result of your accident to avoid a rejected claim. For example, prescription receipts, medical bills, car repair statements, mileage to and from the doctor and more. These will serve as proof of your damages that your lawyer can use to negotiate a better settlement for you.
Adjusters will never believe you until you provide them with proof. You may also need to avoid the temptation to settle quickly. This is because the injuries you sustained may be latent and may require long –term treatment that may not be accounted for in the quick settlement. For example, a headache may actually be a sign of something worse that a doctor may have not spotted.
Talk to a personal injury lawyer before you speak to an insurance adjuster. Your attorney can give you crucial information about how to handle insurance adjusters and how to get a fair settlement.