Your car insurance provider is there to come to your aid should you be involved in an accident and need monetary support for treating any damage and injuries suffered. If you’ve signed up for comprehensive coverage and you pay your premiums on time every month, you might expect the insurance adjuster involved with your claim to do everything in their power to make sure you’re taken care of to the fullest extent of their abilities.
But the reality is, an insurance adjuster’s primary job isn’t to make sure their clients are taken care of. It’s to make sure they’re costing their company as little money as possible. That’s why insurance adjusters are notoriously difficult to work with when it comes to making sure you get coverage for the care you need. The less money they offer you for your claim, the more money they put in the pockets of their bosses. To achieve that, they employ some ruthless tactics to be aware of and know how to combat.
The Most Common Insurance Adjuster Tactics
It’s not always entirely clear who is at fault for an accident. But in many instances, such as in the case of a rear-end accident or blatant disregard for traffic laws, it can be much easier to determine who is at fault. Even so, one very common tactic insurance adjusters use is to try and place blame on victims.
Though Florida’s No-Fault laws make it easier to obtain coverage no matter who caused your accident, if your injuries are severe enough that the costs of treating them go beyond what your PIP insurance provides, you will need to seek compensation from the other party’s insurance provider. At this point, it’s likely the insurance adjuster will start asking leading questions that put you in the line of fire. They’re going to ask you countless details about how you were driving and what your state of mind was, looking for some way to shovel some of the blame onto you, thus offering less compensation.
Another common tactic insurance adjusters like to try is to make assumptions about damage to your vehicle and your injuries. They operate under the assumption that “lower impact” accidents, such as rear-end collisions, don’t cause extensive damage, and will try to work your claim as such. But it is entirely possible for a rear-end collision to result in dramatically harmful damage, such as whiplash that can lead to spinal injuries. They may also try to claim that your particular injury or condition existed before the accident and wasn’t exacerbated by it.
Insurance adjusters will also often attempt to deviate from what your signed contract with their company says. The bottom line is: If you contract states it’s covered, it should be covered. But often, insurance adjusters will try to re-interpret lines of coverage in your contract or use language that may confuse you into believing you aren’t covered for something. In these instances, as well as many others, the best course of action is to remain steadfast. But there’s a smart way to go about doing so.
How You Should Behave with Your Insurance Adjuster
When you’ve been injured and your unpaid medical bills are mounting, the easiest emotion to feel is anger. And the easiest person to take that anger out on is usually the insurance adjuster who is refusing to offer the compensation you need to pay your bills. But the number one rule to adhere to when speaking with insurance adjusters is to remain calm. Erratic behavior will only beget retaliation, which is never good for your claim.
The second most important rule to remember when speaking with insurance adjusters is to mind your words. Insurance adjusters ask a lot of questions because again, they’re looking for you to say something they can use against you. They are hoping you will somehow reveal that you were at fault, or are sorry for your actions, or even “admit” that your injuries are not as extensive as you claim. They are trained to recognize specific words and phrases they can use to build a report that puts you in poor favor.
They are also trained to rush you into having these types of harmful conversations. Many insurance adjusters will attempt to reach out to you within hours of your accident, when your nerves are still fresh. They may attempt to trap you in a conversation at the most stressful of times, then offer a quick low-sum settlement. In these instances, you have every right to slow down, let the adjuster know that you are not ready to talk, and even offer to give them a written statement of your account. And of course, you should never accept a settlement offer without speaking to an attorney first.
It’s also important to always remember that no matter how kind and concerned they may seem, insurance adjusters are not your friends. They are trained to feign compassion in order to lull you into a false sense of security. No matter how nice the voice on the other end of the phone is, remind yourself they are not your friend, and do not treat them as such.
When the Insurance Company Still Won’t Pay
You may be on your best behavior when dealing with an insurance adjuster, have given them the documents you feel they viably need to fulfill your claim, and it still may not work to get you the full compensation you deserve. When this happens, it’s time to build your case.
The first step in building a strong case against the insurance company’s denied claim is compiling evidence. You are not obligated to give the insurance company years and years of records on your car, your driving, or your medical history, but it is wise to give them extensive evidence pertaining directly to your related damages and injuries.
Photo evidence of the accident, eye-witness statements, and police records are great resources for showing how the accident occurred, and what the resulting damages were. Ongoing medical records and letters from your doctors and other specialists, as well as related medical bills and estimations for continuing care are necessary for showing the injuries you sustained, and what treating those injuries is costing you. And understanding exactly what kind of coverage your insurance policy contains and your right to receiving it places you in an expert corner of argument.
The very best thing you can do in the case of harmfully stubborn insurance adjusters, however, is seek the help of an experienced car accident lawyer. A team like The Whisler Law Firm has decades of experience dealing with every insurance adjuster tactic out there, and is familiar with the details of most insurance policies. That means we know what you deserve, and what your insurance adjuster is attempting to withhold. We also work with experts every day who help us gather the thorough evidence our clients need to make their cases, whether it’s via an adequate settlement or inside a courtroom.
We’re so confident in our ability to deal with your insurance company for you that you never owe us anything unless we win your case or help you get a settlement amount you deserve. And that pledge starts with an entirely free, no-obligation consultation with someone from our team. Call 833-529-5677 or fill out our online form to schedule yours today.
