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If you’ve been in a car accident, one of the first steps to take is to file a personal injury claim with the insurance company.
However, unless you hire a personal injury lawyer, you’ll be left at the mercy of an insurance adjuster.
The less money insurance companies pay, the higher their profit. Insurance companies will do everything they can to lower the amount of damages paid to you or get out of paying a settlement completely.
Schmidt & Clark lawyers have dealt with numerous insurance adjusters. Our lawyers know all the tactics to scare an insurance adjuster, and today we’ll share some of them with you.
Summary of the Key Findings
- Insurance companies use several tactics to scare you and make you accept a low settlement offer.
- There are ways in which you can scare claims adjusters. One of the best ways to do this is to hire an experienced attorney.
- An attorney will help you get financial compensation for medical bills, all impact-related injuries, and related legal fees.
Ways to Scare an Insurance Adjuster
Some of the most successful ways of scaring a claims adjuster include:
1. Know Your Policy
Knowing your insurance policy is one of the best ways to avoid falling prey to insurance adjusters.
Make sure to read the policy thoroughly. You should know the policy inside and out before negotiating with the claim adjusters. By understanding the policy, you also won’t accidentally commit insurance fraud.
Insurance adjusters frequently withhold information, hoping you haven’t read the policy. Each policy is different. For example, rental property insurance will be different from a car insurance policy. That’s why you should get familiar with the wording and know what you are and aren’t entitled to get.
Insurance adjusters tend to use a deceptive interpretation of the policy or tell out-of-date information of the full coverage limits, all in the hopes you won’t find out. As insurance policies are mostly written in legalese, they are difficult for people other than attorneys to understand.
If you have problems understanding your policy, you should hire a reputable personal injury attorney to help you.
Related Article: How То Get More Than Policy Limits?
2. Get an Attorney
If you decide to pursue the claim yourself, the claims adjuster in charge can take advantage of things you don’t know regarding the policy. They can try to limit the settlement given to you or avoid paying you altogether.
But, getting an attorney is a clear message to the insurance claims adjuster that they can't take advantage of you. A lawyer will be well-versed in all the strategies claims adjusters use.
One important thing that an attorney can do for you is negotiate. Don’t trust if insurance companies tell you that you’ll get the same settlement without having representation.
An attorney will know how to negotiate your settlement and get you the highest possible amount, including compensation for all legal fees. Hiring an attorney sends a clear message to the insurance adjuster that they can’t fool you. It increases your chances of getting compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other damages.
3. Gather All Documents
Another crucial step in scaring insurance adjusters is to have all the documents ready. You need official documentation to submit a valid personal injury claim.
This means you should document all the injuries you suffered. Visit the doctor straight after the accident and schedule follow-up appointments on time. Don’t delay — the adjuster can blame your injuries on other causes if you delay.
Apart from going to the emergency room after the accident, you should schedule an appointment with your regular doctor. They will have information about your well-being before the accident and can help you document all the changes that happened after the accident.
Another document you can get is the police report. The report will likely state who’s the at-fault party, which can go a long way in helping you get a settlement in an insurance claims process. Once again, you can hire an attorney to help you get all of these.
4. Get a Second Medical Opinion
Consider getting a second medical opinion to scare insurance adjusters.
While you should go to the emergency room immediately after the car accident, you may be discharged once the doctor verifies you’re in stable condition and there aren’t any physical injuries.
Then, you should visit a chiropractor. They’ll do a more thorough examination and establish if you suffered whiplash, disc herniation, or other issues. Spine damage often doesn’t manifest straight away, but after some time instead, so feel free to consult a chiropractor for any injuries you have.
There are many cases where the insurance adjuster lied when dealing with accident victims. The secondary medical opinion will show you’re thoroughly checking how the car accident impacted your well-being and won’t fall for their tricks.
Related Article: Types of Workers Comp Adjuster Tricks
Things Not to Tell to an Insurance Adjuster
Here’s a list of everything insurance carriers shouldn’t say to the insurance company:
Never lie.- Don't admit liability, even partially.
- Don’t answer questions asking what you could have done to avoid the accident.
- Don’t comment on how external factors, such as the weather, affected the accident.
- Don’t give your opinion on medical treatment costs and repair and replacement costs.
Never lie.The less you say, the better. Once again, you should obtain legal representation. This way, the insurance company can’t hold against you anything you say.
Also Read: Things You Should Never Say to an Insurance Adjuster
How Insurance Adjusters Try to Trick You
An insurance adjuster’s first loyalty is always to the insurance company, so don’t be fooled by their tactics.
“A claims adjuster reviews each case by speaking with the claimant, interviewing any witnesses, researching records (such as police or medical records), and inspecting any involved property.” Investopedia
Some of the ways they aim to trick you during a personal injury settlement are:
- Demanding your medical records — These include not only present but also past records that aren’t related to the personal injury case. The adjuster can use them to blame the injury on a pre-existing condition. You are under no obligation to give them access to your medical records.
- Delaying the insurance claim — Most insurance adjusters use these. They won’t answer your calls to try to get you to give up and then say it took you too long to contact them. They want to make you believe you’re outside of the statute of limitations [1].
- Being fake-friendly — Insurance companies train adjusters to be friendly to obtain the information they can use against you. They want to put you in a false sense of security to lower the settlement claim.
- Demanding a recorded statement — Never agree to be recorded. For example, if they ask, “How are you feeling today?” and you say, “Good,” it can be detrimental. They can use this to claim you aren’t really injured.
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- Improve Chances of Winning a Workers’ Comp Case
- Group Accident Insurance
- Are Towing Companies Liable For Damage?
FAQ
Can I Negotiate with the Insurance Adjuster?
Yes, you can negotiate with the insurance adjuster. In fact, you should hire an attorney to negotiate with the insurance company for you and get you a fair settlement.
2. What Should You Do if the Adjuster Is Uncooperative?
If the adjuster is not cooperating, escalate the matter by requesting to speak with a supervisor or filing a complaint with the state insurance department.
How Should You Scare Insurance Adjusters?
Filing a claim after car accident for property damage or any other negligence-related injury will help you save money and get the compensation you deserve.
However, insurance companies can try to minimize your compensation, so your best bet for dealing with an insurance adjuster is hiring personal injury attorneys. Law firm Schmidt & Clark has been helping their clients get fair compensation for two decades.
Contact us as soon as today for a free consultation, and we’ll help you deal with claim adjusters.
References:
1.https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/statute_of_limitations