Victims of accidents are entitled to compensation for any damages they suffered. An integral part of this claims process is validating the insurance claim. This is where insurance adjusters come in.

Victims should hire personal injury lawyers to help them navigate the claims process, as dealing with insurance adjusters can be quite tricky.

This article will go over who insurance adjusters are and why accident victims should be wary of them.

Who is an Insurance Adjuster?

Often, when accidents happen, the damage is covered by an insurance company. Insurance adjusters are people who work to handle these damage claims. Their job is to validate a claim and assign a value to it. These agents can work for the insurance company or be independent contractors. Even the government employs insurance adjusters to deal with damage claims against them.

Common Tactics Used by Insurance Adjusters

As the insurance adjuster works for the insurance company, their primary goal is to reduce the company’s costs. There are several tactics they employ to do this, including:

• Urge you to settle quickly: Insurance adjusters often try to pressure you into accepting a settlement quickly because this gives you less time to think about their offer and investigate its value.
• Minimize the severity of your injuries: They can also minimize the effect of your injuries, resulting in a lower settlement
• Discouraging legal representation: They may also discourage you from hiring a lawyer, asking you to trust their capabilities and character.
• Asking to record your conversations: A very common tactic used by insurance adjusters is recording conversations, which can later be used against you to diminish your settlement claim or deny it.

Why Accident Victims Should Be Wary of Them

The fact that the insurance adjusters primarily work for the insurance company means that their loyalty is with the insurance company. This means they will go to any length to refute or reduce the value of your claim.

They are commonly known to approach victims of accidents in a friendly manner so that the victims trust them easily. As a result, the insurance adjuster will be able to downplay the value of the victim’s claim.

Accident victims must therefore remember that the primary duty of an insurance adjuster is not to them, but to the insurance company.

How to Protect Yourself

Here are some tips that victims can follow in order to protect themselves from the tactics employed by insurance adjusters:

1. Be polite and respectful in all your interactions with an insurance
2. Be sure to hire a lawyer so that you understand your rights and have someone to negotiate on your behalf.
3. Do not go into detail about your injuries or give the insurance adjuster direct access to your medical files, as this can easily be used against you. Some injuries may not be discovered until later. You may not know the full extent of your medical bills, so it is important to refrain from making a comment on your injuries.
4. Do not allow insurance adjusters to record you in any capacity, as they can get you to say things that downplay your injuries or the damages of the accident. For example, if you say you’re fine after an accident in the course of a conversation, this can serve as evidence against your claim.

Conclusion

Dealing with an insurance adjuster can be quite tricky. While their work is essential to validating a claim, it can be detrimental to your personal interests.

So, you must approach your interactions with them with utmost caution. Having a lawyer negotiate on your behalf can be helpful to your case.