Making an insurance claim can be stressful and confusing and likely to take up valuable time. This is true, regardless of whether you are making a personal injury claim, car accident claim, or another type of insurance claim to try to seek compensation for damages.
In many instances, your attempts to secure a payout from your insurance following an incident will be challenged by an insurance adjuster.
A claims adjuster is a person who investigates insurance claims to determine how much the insurance company should pay for the loss. If you file a claim, such as a personal injury claim or property damage claim, then it will be an insurance adjuster’s job to assess the validity of your claim.
Every insurance company will have its own claims adjusters, who investigate and assess individual claims to help determine how much the insurance company should pay. Although insurance adjusters are obliged to remain impartial, claimers should remember that insurance adjusters are hired by the insurance company. It is likely that they will try to minimize the amount the insurance company has to pay you.
When you file a claim with your insurance company, it is highly likely that you will be contacted by an insurance adjuster. This article will go through questions you should ask the insurance adjuster and things you should not say in order to help the interaction go as smoothly as possible.
Dealing with insurance companies and insurance adjusters can be stressful and confusing, particularly if you are emotional following a loss or accident. If you have questions regarding the claims process and how to deal with an insurance adjuster, call The Law Place today to receive free legal advice from one of our attorneys.
Our phone lines are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Call us today for a free case evaluation at (941) 444-4444.
What Does an Insurance Adjuster Do?
An insurance adjuster is someone who inspects injury claims, such as personal injury claims or property damage claims, to determine how much the insurance company should payout for the damages.
The duties of an insurance adjuster will depend on the type of insurance company they work for. If they work in property insurance, then part of their role will include inspecting properties to assess the damage. If they work in health insurance, then they will, among other duties, evaluate which types of medical treatments are medically necessary.
The key responsibilities of a claims adjuster include:
- Determining whether an insurance claim is legitimate or not.
- Inspecting the property, vehicle, or business for damage and taking photographs.
- Gathering relevant evidence such as police reports.
- Conducting interviews with witnesses and experts.
- Handling settlement negotiations.
- Working with lawyers on contested claims.
- Creating detailed reports which are reviewed by a claims examiner.
Because an insurance adjuster works on behalf of the insurance company rather than for you, they will have the insurance company’s interests, rather than yours, at heart. This means that they could overlook losses that you may not have noticed or may not accurately estimate damage and loss.
A public adjuster is slightly different. Public adjusters do not work for a specific insurance company but can instead be hired by claimants who may not trust the insurance company’s adjuster and wish for a second opinion.
What Questions Should I Ask an Insurance Adjuster?
If you file a claim with your insurance following, for example, a car accident or property damage incident, then you will likely be contacted by an insurance adjuster. Here are some questions you should ask them:
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Whose Insurance Will Cover This Accident?
If you have been in a car accident and are making a claim against your Personal Insurance Protection (PIP) or against the other driver involved in an accident, then it would be wise to ask the insurance adjuster about the policy coverage. You may, for example, have additional coverage under your policy, such as Uninsured Motorist coverage, which would pay for the injuries and damages caused by a car accident. Advisers will probably not disclose this information to you, as it would not be in the insurance companies’ financial interest. To ensure you are not being treated unfairly, we recommend that you check your insurance policies or contract with the help of a litigation attorney. You could also try to enquire about the other driver’s insurance coverage, but they are unlikely to disclose this information to you.
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Why Do You Need a Recorded Statement?
Recorded statements are a key tool used by insurance companies to devalue and deny insurance claims. Adjusters are working on behalf of insurance companies who want to pay out the minimum amount possible, so it is in their interest to use their knowledge of the law to minimize the amount insurance companies have to pay you. If a person making a claim says something like ‘it could have been partly my fault’ or ‘I’m not sure exactly what happened,’ then this recorded statement could later be used against you. Florida Statute 768.81 dictates that the State of Florida works under comparative negligence. This means that if a person making a claim is found to be partly to blame for the incident, then their insurance payout will be reduced by the percentage of blame the claimer had.
For this reason, it is better to make a written rather than a recorded statement. That way, you can discuss what details you want to include or leave out with your attorney before submitting the statement. For free legal advice regarding incident statements, contact The Law Place today.
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Why Do You Need Unrestricted Medical Authorization?
In their investigation into your personal injury claim, insurance adjusters will try to dig up any information which could help them devalue your claim, for example, by claiming that your injuries were, in fact, a result of previous medical issues. If you give them medical authorization, then the insurance companies, and any entities they wish to share them with, will have unrestricted access to your medical records. We recommend that you talk to a lawyer before signing a medical authorization to protect your privacy.
How Should I Prepare to Speak to an Insurance Adjuster?
It’s important to be prepared for your interaction with an insurance adjuster to make the process as efficient as possible and help avoid unnecessary costs. Here are things you should do to ensure that you are ready to speak to an insurance adjuster:
- Understand the insurance adjuster’s role – The main priorities of an insurance adjuster are to prevent insurance fraud and settle claims at the lowest possible amount and in the shortest possible time.
- Do your research – Insurance adjusters will often deal with around 100 claims per month for their particular insurance company. They do not necessarily have specialized medical or legal training, so it will work in your favor to demonstrate advanced knowledge of your case. If you do not have time to do this research, we recommend soliciting the help of an attorney. Be sure to have copies of your medical records and any medical bills that are relevant to your case if you are making a personal injury claim.
- Avoid giving unnecessary details – If you have been in an accident and are making a personal injury claim, you may be in shock when you speak to an insurance adjuster, which could lead you to give away valuable information. If you speak to an adjuster before you have talked to your attorney, it’s best to give fewer details. For example, if you have been in a car accident and you are alerting your auto insurance company, it is better to tell them a few details about the crash and not give information about who might have been at fault. It’s always better to speak to an attorney before talking to your insurance company. Before you start talking to your insurance company, call The Law Place for free advice about how to best handle these conversations.
- Don’t admit blame – It is important that you do not admit any blame for the incident or make guesses about what happened. It is always better to speak to your lawyer before mentioning any fault, as this admission of fault might later be used against you.
- Don’t agree to a settlement – If a claims adjuster proposes a settlement amount over the phone or in an email, its best not to accept it until you have talked to a personal injury attorney to ensure that they are giving you a reasonable settlement. Major insurance companies are accustomed to claimers acting in panic and accepting the first settlement offer they receive to settle their personal injury claim as quickly as possible
Call The Law Place
When it comes to settling insurance claims, there are a lot of missteps and traps that you could fall into when speaking to insurance adjusters that could land you in hot water. Call The Law Place today for a free consultation with one of our attorneys. We want to help ensure that you receive a fair settlement for your damages.
Our phone lines are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Call us today for a free case evaluation at (941) 444-4444.
