In a car accident, the first step is to investigate the extent of your injuries and losses. The insurance company may try to stick to inaccurate information and incomplete statements. A common mistake made by many claims adjusters is to insist on tape-recorded statements or recording phone conversations. Remember that recording you is not legal unless you give your permission. Moreover, you can get help from an injury attorney if you’re unsure how to proceed.
An Adjuster Is Not Your Friend
While an insurance adjuster may seem friendly, they are working on getting you to admit fault in the car accident. This is not a good situation for you because you will be accused of lying and betraying your truth. Avoid discussing your injuries or mentioning anything that may help the insurance adjuster skew the information they are gathering. It’s better to keep these conversations to yourself.
Insurance adjusters know you are not in a good place emotionally and may get you to incriminate yourself. They are trained to find evidence to use against you, and they will do so to limit the payout. Never talk with them directly. They are there to protect their interests, not yours. You’ll ruin your chances of winning your case by speaking to them.
Insurance adjusters don’t want you to hire an attorney, so they try to keep your claim as low as possible. They want to avoid paying anything to you, so they try to scare you into saying you don’t have a serious injury. Remember that they aren’t your friends and aren’t interested in helping you out – they want to save money, not give you anything in exchange.
Insurance Adjusters Will Try to Lower Your Claim
There are many strategies insurance adjusters use. These tactics include:
- Ignoring phone calls
- Delaying contact with you
- Stalling your claim
They figure you’ll become more desperate as your bills pile up. But don’t give in to the insurance adjuster’s intimidation. Instead, stay calm and speak to a personal injury attorney. The insurance adjuster isn’t your friend, and they’ll do everything they can to limit your payout.
Don’t Make Statements To Adjusters
Don’t make statements to car accident adjusters! While the insurance adjuster may seem friendly, it’s vitally important to avoid making any statements that could be used to undermine your claim. The insurance representative may ask questions about work and money or attempt to fish for information about old injuries or chronic conditions. Whether you are comfortable answering these questions, you must resist the urge to make any statements. Instead, tell the adjuster that you’ll talk to a lawyer and that you aren’t comfortable discussing any specific accident details with anyone.
Insurance adjusters are trained professionals who know how to manipulate accident victims into giving inaccurate statements. Moreover, victims are not in a position to make a statement after experiencing a severe injury. Insurance adjusters are trained to twist statements in a way that helps them reduce the amount of the claim. They can also use your statement as evidence against you. If you’re not sure, it is best to speak with an experienced attorney right away. This way, you can focus on proving your case without worrying about the details.
Injury Attorneys Knows Adjusters’ Tricks
Injury attorneys know the tricks that insurance adjusters use to make lowball settlement offers. Many times the adjuster will not return your phone calls or emails. Insurance adjusters use the claim process as a war of attrition, and they know when the injured party is at their breaking point and ready to accept a lowball offer. Injury attorneys understand how insurance adjusters operate and can take advantage of their experience to win your case.
Insurance adjusters may try to use information from your medical history to discredit your claims. For example, they may try to claim that you had an injury decades ago. They may try to get you to agree to an Independent Medical Exam (IME), an examination by a doctor who is not a trusted physician of yours. The insurance company pays these medical professionals. Injury attorneys know these tricks and will fight for you. So, be aware of the tricks used by auto insurance adjusters.
Why You Should Hire a Personal Injury Attorney
Hiring a personal injury attorney to deal with car insurance adjusters can help you get the maximum compensation for your injuries. These attorneys will collect evidence and evaluate it to determine fault.
Moreover, delayed contact with a personal injury attorney will only increase the chances of losing documentation. If you wait too long, the best evidence can be lost or misplaced. The insurance company will be more likely to deny your claim if you fail to provide evidence promptly. Furthermore, dealing with the insurance adjuster will take longer if you are unable to contact your attorney.
Hiring a personal injury attorney will help you protect your rights and money by filing a lawsuit against the negligent party or business. Many insurance companies will settle with a claimant instead of paying the lawyer. In such cases, an attorney will remind the insurance company of their duties under Texas law and fight on your behalf to get the highest settlement amount.
Contact a Personal Injury Attorney Today
Insurance adjusters often seem friendly, but their goal is to rob you of all compensation. They may even try to deceive you by asking you to give a statement or engage in conversation to get the facts of the accident. Do not disclose details of your injuries; say only that you are still treating. The insurance company cannot legally record your conversation unless you give them your consent. A personal injury attorney can help you navigate these tricky conversations.
Your car accident attorney will advise you on dealing with car accident adjusters and how much you are entitled. You should never accept the first settlement offer. This will almost always be the lowest possible amount. Remember, insurance companies don’t want to pay out a large claim, so they attempt to minimize it. Never accept money out of desperation. Your attorney will know how to maximize your settlement and reject lowball offers.