Do Insurance Adjusters Employ Tactics to Devalue Your Accident Claim?

When dealing with an insurance claims adjuster, the most important thing to remember is that they are not your friend. Insurance companies are not on your side (no matter what they say), and the claims adjuster’s entire job is to prevent you from getting one cent more than they legally have to pay you.

Before you discuss anything to any insurance company representative, you need to secure an experienced attorney to help you make good decisions. A seasoned law firm in the state where the accident occurred will also help you avoid some of the most common predatory tactics insurance adjusters use. For instance, if you have been in a motorcycle accident in South Carolina, professional attorneys from Anastopoulo Law Firm can help you. Moreover, when it comes to personal injuries, accidents, and insurance, the best way to go about things is to have expert legal representation. Don’t for a second think that you can deal with these things on your own when it comes to traffic accidents. Lawyer up and be ready for anything.

So let’s see some of the most frequent insurance adjusters’ tactics that can devalue your claim!

They Offer You Quick and Easy Cash

The speediest settlements are usually the result of an insurance claims adjuster trying to avoid paying out more down the road. Usually, quick payments are offered in exchange for you waiving your claim. They may even make you an offer before the damage to your vehicle has been appraised. Even worse would be accepting a settlement from adjusters before receiving a medical diagnosis for injuries sustained in a car or motorcycle collision.

The adjuster’s job at this point is to dangle just enough money in front of you that you will forsake your right to any claim in the future before the actual cost of the accident can sink in. Many injuries that occur from trauma, like a collision, can take hours to days to appear. And the price of these discovered conditions or damages will not be a part of your settlement or lawsuit.

Take any deals you have been offered to your attorney. If the insurance adjuster seems hesitant to let this happen, that is a further sign that they know it is a bad deal for you.

They Are Asking You for a Statement

One of the most frequently seen traps an insurance adjuster will use is to ask you for a recorded statement. People do not talk with the same precision or smoothness of written communication, so you should not risk slipping up or forgetting something in a recorded statement. You will always want to turn down a request for a recorded statement. Even written statements should always be screened and passed through by your legal representative.

They Contact You Directly or Right Away

While many insurance companies try to appear as if they are your family, your neighbors, or something else equally touching and community-minded, that is not the case. When a claims adjuster reaches out right after an accident, they hope you are still stunned by the gravity of your situation and unprepared for them. Unfortunately, this stage is when most people slip up and unknowingly admit to fault.

One rule of thumb is never to admit fault in a vehicular accident – don’t even say you are sorry – no matter the state where the accident occurred. Your attorney will explain things in detail regarding “guilt” admission.

They Request a Medical Authorization

Insurance companies may occasionally request medical authorization under the guide of checking the costs of your treatment or following up with your case. But, unfortunately, a medical authorization form will give them permission to rifle through our medical history for similar symptoms to your injury or factors that may allow them to cast doubt on who is liable for the accident.

Suppose you have a history of pain or problems that are the same as your reported post-accident injury. In that case, the insurance claims adjuster may argue that this is your condition flaring up or a preexisting condition. For this reason, you and your lawyer alone should have access to your medical records.

They Will Deny Liability

You need to understand that the insurance company is looking for ways to deny liability, either in full or for a partial amount of the claim.

An insurance company may flat out claim that there is no chance you suffered injuries during a car or motorcycle accident. They might also use the logic that only minor personal injury or property damage could have occurred. But, even if that is the case, that should not let them off the hook for compensating injured parties.

Another largely used tactic is to shift blame to a grey area where they target you as partially liable for the accident. Under some state laws, liability is determined as a percentage, which leads to fierce battles over every small factor. For example, the party found 51% or more liable for a car accident is not entitled to anything. At the same time, the other person’s settlement will be limited by the percentage they were not liable for. Again, hire a good lawyer if this happens.

In conclusion, before you even consider discussing an accident with your insurance company, talk to your lawyer first.