How to Deal with Difficult Insurance Adjusters

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When filing an insurance claim in the aftermath of an accident, you will be assigned an insurance adjuster whose primary job is to scrutinize the claim raised by you. The adjuster will thoroughly investigate the accident and determine the amount and coverage to which you are entitled. This seemingly simple process can become excruciating and messy if your insurance adjuster is difficult. They can use improper bargaining tactics and operate in bad faith with the prime purpose of reducing or denying your claim coverage. 

Recovering from any accident, whether a vehicle crash or a personal slip and fall injury, can be a challenge. Dealing with an unprofessional insurance adjuster can hinder your recuperation and cause additional undue stress. Pursuing a settlement with inconsiderate claim adjusters can be burdensome, which is probably why most people today choose to appoint an attorney to deal with their insurance adjusters and settlements.

How To Deal with Difficult Insurance Adjusters?

Serving as a representative of the insurance company, the fundamental role of an insurance adjuster is:

  •  To avoid fraudulent insurance claims
  •  To settle claims quickly and for the lowest possible payouts

An insurance company needs to ensure the claims made to them are genuine. This is why they use insurance adjusters –  to examine the legitimacy of the facts submitted and to help the company decide on a settlement amount. You may wonder how insurance adjusters impact settlements. Adjusters are trained in the art of negotiating insurance claims and resolving settlements with minimal payouts. They use variations of settlement formulas and negotiating strategies to arrive at a number for your claim request. The insurance company cannot rely solely on the claimant’s story. The estimate furnished by the adjuster, after investigating the incident and reviewing all the medical records and other ancillary expenses, impacts your final settlement value greatly. If you’ve landed with a difficult claim adjuster, the insurance process will be quite a journey. 

Tips on handling difficult and unpleasant insurance adjusters

  • Take your time and exercise patience. Don’t try to reach a quick settlement by giving in to pressure and approving a low-value offer. Insurance adjusters are paid to conclude claims speedily and at the bare minimum amount. Communicate at your convenience, and don’t let impulsive decisions cost you a fair settlement.
  • Learn the intricacies of your insurance policy and coverage claims ahead of time. Being well-informed about your rights protects you from being a victim of unwarranted dismissals or setbacks. Denial of coverage can sometimes merely be a stepping stone for the onset of settlement negotiations.  
  • Prepare an honest and realistic claim. Exaggerating and inflating your insurance claim could be evident to the adjuster and can lead to a lower settlement value than anticipated.
  • Keep all claim-related documents, receipts, and evidence readily available for examination to avoid unnecessary delays for both the adjuster and yourself.
  • Report the adjuster to his supervisor if he continues to be disrespectful even after you’ve expressed dissatisfaction with his behavior.
  • Ward off dealing with difficult insurance adjusters entirely by hiring a lawyer who can maximize your claim.

How can a lawyer help with insurance claims?

One of the best ways to bypass having to converse with impolite insurance adjusters altogether is to get an experienced car accident attorney. Once you’ve decided on your legal representation, all communications, verbal and written, made by the company or the adjuster will go through your attorney. It’s always better to get your interests represented by a professional insurance attorney during negotiations since insurance adjusters are professionals who are trained to work against your financial interests and bully you into accepting unfair compensation. An attorney will assist you in providing the insurance adjuster with the necessary documents and take charge of any contract breaches the insurance company might make.

While dealing with adjusters, people often unintentionally make statements that undermine their claims or give the insurance adjuster grounds to make the claimant partly liable for the accident – thereby reducing or negating the settlement coverage. An attorney has the required expertise to ask and answer all the questions correctly and help you win the best settlement with the least liability.

What to Do If You Get into a Car Accident?

Being in a car accident is terrifying. Dealing with difficult and rude insurance adjusters can further hamper your recovery process. After you’ve filed your car accident insurance claim, the insurance adjuster assigned by the company will contact you to check the validity of your claim and will determine how much, if any, coverage you will receive. Once the adjuster contacts you, find out his relevant credentials and keep the first conversation concise, avoiding any specific details regarding the injury. It can be challenging to recall the entire incident accurately and answer the insurance adjuster’s questions carefully without sabotaging your claim request. Refuse to give recorded statements or submit documents without consulting an attorney first. It is recommended that you hire a competent attorney to help you navigate the insurance claim journey without hassle. Having someone with legal expertise present your case gives you a leg-up while dealing with insurance adjusters. An experienced Tampa car accident attorney will act in your best interests and assist you in getting a better and bigger settlement than you would have received without legal representation.

Do you have questions about dealing with insurance claims?

Sources:

Definition of an Adjuster. (2022).

Gougen, D. (2022). What If the Claims Adjuster Denies Coverage?

Gougen, D. (2022). Will the insurance adjuster use a settlement formula in valuing my injury claim?

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