Car Accident Lawyer
In the days after a vehicle collision or another type of personal injury accident, you may receive a call from an insurance adjuster. This is a representative from the company that insures the other person involved in the accident. In the information provided below, there are tips on what to do and what to say if an adjuster contacts you. As a car accident lawyer forewarns, there are certain things that you should avoid discussing at all costs, especially if you think that the other driver is responsible for the accident.
The first time that you hear from the other driver’s insurance company could be within a day or two after the incident. But if not, it will almost certainly be within the initial couple weeks. The goal of an adjuster is to reach out to you and get you to accept a settlement offer, usually before you have even begun to fully understand what the extent of your injuries are and what your claim is worth. So as you can imagine, an insurance adjuster is not going to wait long, because the more time goes by, the more loss you may realize you have incurred.
The adjuster may attempt to do a live call with you and ask to record it so that you could make statements that hurt your claim. The adjuster may come off friendly and seem like they don’t know anything about the accident, when they have received the information they need. All in all, insurance adjusters are more focused on saving their company money, and they are not as concerned about your well-being. During every moment of the interaction, an adjuster is attempting to prioritize their company’s best interest, and not yours. Their purpose is to get you to accept the lowest amount of money in the shortest amount of time.
When interacting with an insurance adjuster, identify the person you were speaking with and write down their name and contact information. Always remain calm and polite, even though you may be angry about the accident and could be taking it out on them unintentionally. Despite knowing that they could be trying to manipulate you, it doesn’t help your case if you are rude. You only have to tell the insurance adjuster basic information like your name, address, and contact phone number. After that, you really don’t need to explain any other details regarding your income, work schedule, medical history, or anything else they may be asking about.
Unfortunately, because so many people get taken advantage of after being in a car accident, they accept the low settlement offer and learn later on what their claim was really worth. If you believe another driver was at fault for the car accident, it is wise to consider meeting with a legal team who can advocate for you. A lawyer can make sure insurance adjusters do not use their unfair tactics to make you think you deserve less than what you do.
