How To Talk To An Insurance Adjuster After A Car Accident
Michael Babboni
Car Accidents
After you’ve been injured in a car accident, you will be contacted by an insurance adjuster. Whether the insurance adjuster is from your insurance company or the other party’s, it is important you understand they are not trying to help you. Insurance companies are in the business of making money. In order to make money, they are going to try to pay the least amount possible they can after an injury accident. To do this, many insurance adjusters employ tactics to trick people into saying things that work against this case. We have seen insurance companies use our client’s own words against them to deny a claim or pay less than what they owe.Before talking to any insurance adjuster, it is vital you know how to avoid these tactics. Here are our expert legal tips on how to talk to an insurance adjusters:
Get The Insurance Adjuster’s Information
First and foremost, get the name, contact, and company information from anyone who contacts you. You will need to keep a detailed record of every interaction with any insurance company. This information will be critical if you have to dispute any claims the insurance company makes against you.
Do Not Give Sensitive Personal Information
No matter what the insurance adjuster asks, the only personal information you should ever give them is your full name, address, and telephone number. Do not discuss anything about your work, family, or income. Insurance adjusters will often try to use personal details against you when refuting a claim. The less they know about you, the better.
Do Not Provide Any Details About The Accident
One of the first things an insurance adjuster will try to do is get you to make a statement about the accident. This is a common trap they set to get you to inadvertently admit fault. Stick to the very basic facts about the accident:
- Where the accident took place
- When the accident took place
- The vehicles involved in the accident
- Any witnesses
Do not provide any other information. If they press you, tell them that you will discuss the details of the car accident at an appropriate time.
Do Not Provide Any Details About Your Injury
The same rule applies for your injuries. If they ask if you are injured, simply say yes. If they want details, tell them that you are seeking medical attention. If you give them details right away, they can point back to this conversation and say that any other injuries are you making a false claim. This is a problem because you may not know the extent of your injuries or may forget to mention an important part of your injury.
Take Detailed Notes
Either while you are having the conversation or immediately after the conversation, take detailed notes about the information you provided, the information they provided, and what they asked. These notes will be very useful if you ever have to dispute a settlement offer or take your claim to court.
Never Accept The First Settlement Offer
Another tactic insurance companies use is to push people to settle quickly. Many people are under the financial pressure of their accident. So insurance companies will take advantage of this and will try to push you into accepting a settlement before you know the full costs of your injury.
If you follow these guidelines, you’ll be able to avoid the common tactics insurance adjusters use to pay you less than what your claim is worth. If you want to make sure that you get the full value of your claim, contact the St. Peter Lawyer. When you work with us, we’ll talk to the insurance adjuster for you. That way you don’t have to worry about the insurance adjuster tricking you out of the full value of your accident injury claim. Contact us today to learn more!