5 Tactics Insurance Adjusters Use To Reduce Your Claim Amount

Tim DavidCar Accident, Personal Injury, Resources

The job of an insurance adjuster is simple: keep the company’s exposure to a minimum and keep the amount paid in claims as low as possible. Many people forget how simple this rule is and believe that talking to an insurance adjuster will somehow help them collect more money from the insurance company.

In reality, insurance adjusters have a single mission, and that is to prevent you from collecting damages to the greatest extent possible. Here are five ways that insurance adjusters try to keep you from collecting compensation for your injuries:

 

  1. Deny, deny, deny. “When in doubt, deny,” may be the first lesson insurance adjusters learn. They already know that if the claim is not very large, simply denying it and hinting that the process to collect damages will be long and drawn-out may cause many victims to simply give up. In addition, adjusters may be able to convince a victim that the accident was really his or her fault or that, as there were no witnesses, the jury would never believe the victim.
  2. Take a recorded statement. It is never a good idea to give a recorded statement to an insurance adjuster. This is a tactic that often allows adjusters to deny claims based on things that the victim says that are taken out of context. Never give a recorded statement without your attorney present.
  3. Obtaining a medical release. Once the adjuster has your medical records, there is nothing to stop him or her from building a case based on doubt about your injuries. Signing a medical release for an adjuster to look at your files is one of the worst things you can do if you are a victim, even if the adjuster promises that he or she will expedite your claim once they “see your medical bills.”
  4. Performing surveillance. If you have had a significant injury, assume that you are being watched and perhaps photographed or filmed. An insurance adjuster would love to have evidence that you are not injured to show a judge or jury. Similarly, expect that the insurance company will be looking at your social media and other accounts for evidence that you are not really injured and that you do not deserve the compensation you are requesting.
  5. Convincing you that a quick settlement is best. One of the favorite tricks of adjusters is to convince the victim that a lawyer will only cost him or her money and that the adjuster can help the victim get a fair settlement. This is almost never true; whatever the adjuster offers is usually much less than what the victim would be entitled to with the help of an attorney.

If you have been the victim of an accident, contact an Orlando personal injury attorney at David & Philpot, P.L. The Florida auto accident lawyers at David & Philpot will deal with the insurance adjusters and will help you recover the compensation you deserve for your injuries. For a free, no obligation consultation call us at 800.360.7015 or fill out our free case evaluation form today.