Insurance adjusters have been trained to follow procedures that protect the interests of the insurance company. While most adjusters want to fairly settle a claim, the procedures they must follow sometimes tip the scales in favor of the company at the expense of the victim.
The following are four common insurance adjuster tricks that lawyers warn against:
1. “Fairly Addressing Damages”
The impression insurance adjusters try to leave is that they will fairly address your damages. An innocent victim will commonly mistake in believing the insurance company when they say, “we accept responsibility”, and that the offer for their damages will be “fair”.
Most victims learn the hard way that insurance companies have no real intention of being fair once they’ve made their offer for damages. For the first time, the personal injury victim realizes that they do in fact need an attorney to have their needs met.
2. Suggesting that the victim may not need an attorney.
Insurance companies handle thousands of cases a month without an attorney, giving the victims no leverage on the insurance companies to be fair.
3. Getting a Recorded Statement
In many instances an insurance adjuster wants to obtain information and facts about the accident in order to properly evaluate it, however, this can also be a tool to gain unfavorable admissions from an uninformed person prior to being represented by an attorney. Adjusters have gone to school to learn how to obtain these admissions, which hurt a claimant’s case. Common tactics are using leading questions and loaded questions.
4. Quick Settlement offers.
This tactic allows the adjuster to close the case early and estimate possible medical expenses. In doing this, the victim is required to a release the insurance company of liability and could be left with a bag of no real recourse if the damages and/or medical bills turn out to be more expensive than the estimated cost.
Don’t take their bait!
These are just some of the common tricks and schemes of insurance companies, and the last thing we want is for you to fall victim to the accident and the expenses that follow. If you are in an accident immediately call a personal injury lawyer!
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