Were you involved in a car accident and now you are wondering about what to say and not say to an insurance adjuster?
Here are a few tips about dealing with an insurance adjuster after a car accident.
Don’t Admit Your Mistake
The first thing that you should never tell an insurance adjuster is to admit your fault. Of course, this is a no-brainer. But – believe us when we tell you that there are thousands of different ways to admit fault other than openly saying that you caused the accident.
For example, if you tell the adjuster that you were driving thirty-five in a twenty-five-an-hour zone. If you do so, you are openly admitting without actually saying that you have been at fault. The reason is that it is evident that you were speeding.
In this case, the insurance adjuster will place a percentage of the fault on you, which is why you should try to avoid making any incriminating statements when talking to an insurance adjuster.
Don’t Give a Recorded Statement
The second thing that you should never do with an insurance adjuster is to give a recorded statement. Suppose you have just gotten into an accident. In this case, the insurance adjuster is asking you questions about your injuries.
Understandably, you should avoid talking about your injuries to anyone but your lawyer, such as a personal injury lawyer from The Solomon Law Group, as the lawyer will safeguard your rights and information while helping your case.
However, at this point, you also don’t know the extent of your injuries, which is why, hypothetically, if you forget to tell your insurance adjuster that you are suffering from backache – the insurance adjuster will document all of your injuries.
When you try to make a claim for an injury, such as shoulder pain or backache, which developed over time – the adjuster will remind you of your recorded statement and how you did not tell them anything about your shoulder or backache.
It is important to know that whatever you tell the insurance adjuster – they will use that information against you to delay, deny, or even diminish your claim.
The One Exception
There is one exception, though, when dealing with the recorded statement rule, which is when you are dealing with your own insurance company. This is the place and time where you have to give a recorded statement because of your contract with your insurance company where you agreed to work with them if you ever get involved in a car accident.
However, be careful what you say – even – if you are working with your own Insurance company.
Don’t Accept an Offer Quickly
Another mistake to avoid with the insurance adjuster is the mistake of accepting their initial offer quickly. Here is the thing: when you get into an accident, the insurance adjusters are more likely to reach out to you soonest and ask you to send them your medical bill.
Subsequently, they will make you a small settlement offer of a few hundred or a thousand dollars – not for serious injuries – but in smaller cases.
Whatever you do – don’t just accept the first offer. The reason is that, in most cases, this is a trick that insurance companies use. Many people make the mistake of not consulting with a lawyer but accepting the initial amount – only – to find out later that they had bigger injuries.
So, don’t make the mistake of accepting the first offer and selling your case right away. In most states, you have plenty of time to file a lawsuit, which is why you should never accept that first offer from an insurance company.
Don’t Be Rude
You should avoid getting mad or lashing out at the insurance adjuster. A lot of people become very aggressive with insurance adjusters – and understandably so – because those professionals are very difficult to deal with.
They are overly interested in saving money on behalf of the insurance company and don’t care about your interest in getting compensated as much as possible. However, as difficult as it might be – you should avoid screaming at them or yelling at them as it is not going to help you.
Instead of getting mad, make sure to document everything that you do or say and what they do or say to you. The best way to communicate with your insurance company is in writing so that you have evidence of everything.
Don’t Trust Them
Another thing that you shouldn’t do with an insurance adjuster is to trust them. An insurance adjuster is just a tool of an insurance company and the insurance company is a multi-billion dollar business. The goal of the insurance company is to pay you as little as possible because it provides their bottom line.
The insurance company wants to make as much money as possible. In the beginning, when insurance adjusters will reach out to you – they will be very nice. You will buy into their pleasantness and believe that they are genuinely interested in helping you.
Here are some general rules to follow:
- Don’t fall for their fake kindness.
- Don’t make nice with the insurance adjusters.
- Don’t believe that they care about you.
The thing is that your interests can never be their interests, which is why you will want to be on guard when interacting with insurance adjusters. On that note, you will do yourself a great favor by allowing your lawyer to deal with the adjusters instead of yourself.
Don’t Delay The Call
Lastly, you should never delay calling the insurance company right after your accident. Give them the address or the location of your car right away so the responsibility is on them and not you. It is common that you might be talking to an operator when you make the call.
When calling, make sure to ask the following questions:
- Who are you talking to?
- What is your claim number?
- Has an adjuster been assigned to the case?
- What is their contact information?
You get the point – you have to be proactive instead of sitting around and waiting for the insurance company to contact you. Their interests aren’t your interests, which is why you need to advocate for yourself.
