How to Deal With Insurance Adjusters After a Personal Injury Accident

The best way to deal with insurance adjusters is by hiring a personal injury law firm and letting them talk to the adjuster on your behalf. The insurance company may try various tactics to reduce how much they have to pay you after an accident, and an attorney can protect your rights if and when they do so.

A personal injury lawyer in your area can handle all communications with the parties involved in your case. This way, none of them get the chance to underpay you for your injuries.

Investigations Are Part of the Insurance Claim Process

If you want to pursue compensation after a personal injury accident, you will have to deal with insurance adjusters at some point. It is an adjuster’s job to:

• Go through all of your claim documentation
• Interview everyone involved with the accident, including you, about what they know
• Visit the accident scene
• Examine and take photos of any damage done in the accident, including your injuries and any property damage you sustained
• Evaluate your case’s worth

While you do have to deal with an adjuster as part of the injury claim evaluation process, you do not have to let the adjuster walk all over you. You have the right to hire a lawyer before you speak with the insurance company and then allow your lawyer to do all of the talking on your behalf.

Why Dealing With Insurance Adjusters Is So Risky

Even if the adjuster works for your own insurance company—for example, if you are filing a claim with your personal injury protection (PIP) coverage—you should be wary of how and when you interact with them. This is because:

• The insurer does not want to lose any more money than they have to, and they might protect their bottom line by using any number of questionable tactics.
• The insurer may try to get you to say or do something that seemingly contradicts the information in your claim. They can use even a small inconsistency to deny payment.
• They may drag out the settlement process until you agree to a smaller settlement than you need.
• The insurance adjuster may ask to record your statement regarding the accident. This is not an innocent request. A recording gives them something to replay and examine over and over again in search of material they can use against you.

If the Insurance Adjuster Tries to Contact You

Some adjusters waste no time in trying to speak to accident survivors like you. You might hear from them even before you leave the hospital.

No matter when or how they try to contact you (phone, email, etc.), you do not have to say anything right away. All you have to do is:

• Say that you want all communication to go through your attorney
• Give them your attorney’s contact information, or tell them you will provide this information once you have chosen an attorney
• Alert your attorney to this and any other attempts at communication

How Personal Injury Attorneys Deal With Accident Settlement Negotiation

You can leave the job of communicating and negotiating with insurance companies to your personal injury lawyer. They have handled cases like yours before, so they are very familiar with the types of tactics and actions the insurer may take. As such, they are prepared to protect their client’s interests by:

• Determining your case’s value. If you know your case’s true worth, it is much harder for the insurer to get away with offering a low ball settlement.
• Collecting evidence to prove your case. For example, they might request medical records for insurance claims or even speak to eyewitnesses.
• Submitting information that the insurance adjuster wants. This way, the insurer cannot try to claim that you did not send sufficient evidence to prove your case or that you used the wrong paperwork.
• Negotiating with the insurer for a fair settlement. The insurer has a great deal of experience with such negotiations, so “going toe to toe” with them yourself would be risky. Personal injury lawyers know just how to stand up to big insurers.
• Representing you in the courtroom. While most cases settle out of court, it is a good idea to hire a lawyer who is willing to go to trial if the insurer proves especially difficult to deal with.

You Do Not Have to Deal With Insurers By Yourself

Whether you were injured in a car accident, slip and fall accident, or workplace accident, a personal injury law firm can make it easier for you to file and fight your case. You deserve the chance to seek compensation without worrying about making critical mistakes.

Want Help Dealing With Personal Injury Insurance Adjusters?

KJT Law Group is willing and able to help people like you recover compensation after a negligence-related accident. Call us at (818) 507-8525 so we can assess your case at no charge. We can tell you more about how to deal with insurance adjusters and protect your rights after a personal injury accident. Act quickly, as CCP § 335.1 limits the time you have to file a personal injury lawsuit.