Insurance adjusters determine how much an insurance company will pay for a claim after an accident. When you make a personal injury claim, you’ll need to know what approach and arguments to use when talking with your insurance adjuster because that is not always clear-cut. The most crucial part of any negotiation with an insurance company is persistence and research.
A personal injury attorney can help you talk to the insurance adjusters and provide the legal information needed to make a reasonable claim. Here we will walk you through some pointers to remember when talking with an adjuster.
1. Remain Calm and Polite
After an incident, it is very easy to get upset or angry. You may feel the need to lash out at those on the opposite side of your case. Do not get overly emotional or start cursing at someone representing the company paying out your claim. The adjuster is undoubtedly entitled to defend themselves and their company. Your attorney should help you by providing information on handling the situation. You do not want to jeopardize your chances of getting a good settlement by saying things you will later regret. However, if the adjuster is offensive or condescending, feel free to walk away and ask for someone else.
2. Consult an Attorney
When you talk to an adjuster about your case, you want to be prepared for potential questions and arguments. Insurance adjusters will likely ask you what happened and give their opinions of the accident and how they feel about your case. Your attorney should provide suggestions on how to respond and what arguments or truths you should use when talking with them. Learn and practice the correct responses over and over again. The attorney can also answer questions on your behalf to protect you and keep you out of trouble.
3. Give Limited Personal Information
When talking to the adjuster, you want to protect yourself. Details about your personal life need to be kept out of the equation. Do your best not to provide them with any information that would make them feel the need to capitalize on your situation. The best practice is to give only enough information as needed, leave out irrelevant information, and protect yourself at all costs. Before meeting with an adjuster, it is highly recommended that you talk to your attorney to see what your obligations are and how much they should know.
4. Don’t Give Details of the Accident
Some adjusters will attempt to trick you into giving them details of the accident or details of the collision that they can use against you. Give the basic when, where and what happened, but if they continue to press for more details, avoid giving them. Don’t let them convince you that the details are relevant to the case. Try to keep the information close to your chest. The details will be used against you if they believe you will push for more information. It’s always best to remain tight-lipped and keep everything vague.
5. Keep Focus
When talking to your insurance adjuster, do not get caught up with their company’s benefits. This is about getting justice for the injuries that you have suffered. It will only drag out your process if you spend too much time fretting over these details. You need to take a long and hard look at your injuries and determine the price of your pain. You may decide that you need to file a lawsuit against the company or person responsible for your injuries. Focus on that only. The more you divert your attention, the harder it will be to determine a fair settlement.
6. Do not be Afraid to Walk Away
As the injured party, you have all the power in this situation. If you feel you are being taken advantage of, do not be afraid to walk away from the deal rather than agree too quickly and end up with a bad settlement. Resist initial settlement offers that would be unfair to you. You cannot think of every contingency when making a decision, so it helps to have the counsel and explanations of an attorney. If you feel that the offer deal is wrong, consider all your options before accepting. Talk to many other people in your situation and hear their thoughts on how they got fair settlements.
7. Don’t Give Details of Your Injuries
The injuries could later turn out to be worse than you initially thought, or you can discover another unknown injury later. This would affect your settlement. Only provide the information required to determine what medical care was needed and billed. Overestimate your injuries, and you may lose out on a good settlement. Be vague, and don’t describe too many details. You might be unable to prove the extent of your injuries if you put too many details out in the open.
8. Be Patient
The process can be very aggravating. It is easy to get frustrated but try your best to be patient. Even if the insurance adjuster says they will call back in a few days, do not expect them to. Your case may take months or longer before you get a fair settlement. Just keep your head high and trust that you will eventually receive the compensation you deserve. You have put in the hard work and endured all the stress, so just wait it out and trust yourself. In the end, you will be glad you did.
9. Take Notes
Written evidence will help you verify your statements and statements made by the adjuster. If you have trouble writing while they are talking, you can use a recorder and then transcribe it later. Doing this while they are speaking will ensure that you do not miss out on important information that may come up later. It will also help you remember what they say when you make statements later. Notes and a transcript made after the meeting will help steer your case in the right direction. Your attorney can later verify any information that is needed.
Knowledge is power. Arm yourself with the knowledge of negotiation tactics to help you get what you deserve after an accident or injury. The medical, legal, and financial professionals at WIN Injury Network are here to help you get through this difficult process. Just visit our blog or contact us with your questions and concerns.