Important things to know about Insurance Adjusters
Being involved in an accident of any kind is a scary thing. Not only do you have medical bills to deal with, but you must struggle to meet the costs demanded of daily living, like paying the rent, buying food and taking care of your children. When you are facing tremendous bills and don’t know how you’re going to pull through, you may be tempted to accept the first settlement offer presented to you by an insurance company. Below is important information you need to be aware of when dealing with insurance adjusters.
First offers are usually low offers
The first offer an insurance adjuster makes is usually on the low end, even if it sounds like a lot of money to you. Remember, insurance adjusters work for the insurance company and are trained to settle claims for the least amount of money possible. Hiring an attorney can help level the playing field. An experienced attorney can be a strong advocate fighting for your best interests in an insurance settlement.
Most insurance adjusters count on victims being unaware of the actual value of their claim
Many accident victims are not fully aware of the value of their claim and jump at the first offer made to them. This is where an experienced accident attorney comes in. An attorney can help you calculate both immediate and future damages of your injuries. These often include things like: medical bills, time missed from work (both now and in the future), loss of earning potential, impact of injury on lifestyle, pain and suffering and any other out-of-pocket expenses you may have incurred as a result of being involved in an accident.
Things you say to an insurance company can be used to minimize the value of your claim
When an insurance adjustor contacts you to “help you settle your claim,” he or she may try to get you to say things that will minimize the value of your claim. For this reason, it is important to have an experienced attorney speak to insurance companies on your behalf. Even if you are well-intentioned and try to work cooperatively with the at-fault party’s insurance company, things you say may be misconstrued to diminish the amount of money that you are legally entitled to receive for your injuries.
Early contact is a strategy for minimizing the value of your claim
Insurance adjusters may also try to contact accident victims soon after an accident before all injuries and damages have been realized. Some injuries take time to show up after an accident. And some injuries require significant treatment into the foreseeable future. If you are unaware of the full extent of your injuries and how they may impact your future, it is best to not speak to an insurance adjuster until consulting a qualified attorney.
Once you reach a fair settlement with an insurance company, you may be asked to sign a “Release and Waiver” form. This form prevents you from filing additional claims in the future and asks you to give up certain rights that you may otherwise be entitled to. It is a good idea to have an experienced attorney look over a “Release and Waiver” form before you sign it to make sure your best interests are protected.
It is usually best to hire an attorney to handle all communication with an insurance company. Experienced accident attorneys are generally able to settle claims for more money than accident victims who try to settle claims on their own.
On June 13th my parked car was hit by an uninsured motorist. My insurance is wanting to settle as a total loss for $3100.00 less than what is owed on our note. Do we have to take their offer or can we make them pay what is owed on the car? I have been paying for a minimum of $25,000 for uninsured insurance. Also, what can we legally do to the uninsured motorist to recover some of our loss?
Elvira
Thank you for your comment. Please note that this site is not meant to replace an attorney’s advice. Please visit http://www.attorneylocate.com to find an attorney in your area.
My son was involved in a car accident through no fault of his. The woman ran head on into him and she died at the scene. He was admitted to the ICU trauma center with a torn spleen. His medical bills were 22K, the adjuster is offering to pay all medical bills, reimburse him for loss wages and 15K for pain and suffering. They did replace the truck he was in also. I think 15K is very low considering the accident could have took his life if not for air bags. We have asked for 80K, what would be a fair offer?
My son rolled my Ford Explorer 4 times when he swerved to avoid hitting someone that cut him off. He hit the curb of the feeder road and rolled. He survived with no major injury. My insurance company denied the claim because I did not have uninsured motorist coverage and he was not a covered driver. I don’t feel like they really reviewed the case. I was called yesterday and asked who was driving and then denied the claim 5 minutes later. Are there any exceptions in this case?