Have you been injured in a motor vehicle accident? If the accident was caused by another party, there’s a good chance that you will hear from the other party’s insurance company soon after the accident. In most cases, an insurance adjuster will get in touch with you to find out more about your injuries and other damages resulting from the accident.
Dealing with Insurance Adjusters – What to expect
When an insurance adjuster calls, you can expect him to:
- Tell you how sorry he is that you were in an accident and injured. The adjuster will seem sympathetic to your situation and use this to gain your trust.
- Ask you to record a statement. He will tell you that this is the first step necessary for processing your claim.
- Gain your trust and advise you that starting the processing of your claim as soon as possible is the best option if you want to receive fair compensation for your damages and injuries.
Wait just a minute
It is tempting to deal with the insurance adjuster directly and forgo hiring a personal injury attorney. Insurance adjusters are trained to be quite convincing. You may also be tempted to think that you will get more out of your claim if you work with them directly since you won’t have to pay attorneys’ fees. That is a big mistake. Here are few points you ought to consider before going down this path on your own.
- Insurance adjusters work for insurance companies. They are not your friends nor are they on your side. They aren’t interested in providing you with just compensation. They work for the best interests of the insurance company.
- Insurance companies like any other business seek to maximize their profits. One of the ways they do this is by minimizing what they pay out as compensation for claims presented to them. Insurance companies know that they can minimize payouts by having injured parties deal directly with their insurance adjusters. This is because a personal injury attorney is usually able to get a higher settlement even after paying the attorneys’ fees.
- Insurance adjusters will advise you against hiring an attorney. They will convince you that the costs of an attorney are high and you will end up with nothing when the legal process is complete. However, the opposite is true. Injured victims who retain personal injury attorneys usually end up with greater compensation than those with similar cases who choose to deal with the insurance adjuster directly.
- Insurance companies hire a team of professionals to work on cases. You’ll be outmatched. Having a personal injury attorney evens out the playing field.
Dealing with insurance adjusters by yourself is not smart. Don’t go it alone. Always consult with an attorney before giving a statement or settling your vehicle accident claim. Sandy Springs attorney Laurie Robbins will review your claim for free. If she can help you recover more money, she will tell you. If not, she will advise you to proceed on your own.