In a car accident, an insurance company sends an insurance adjuster to value the amount of damage and injury caused to a party. An insurance adjuster’s job is to find any and all loopholes through which an insurance company may deny or decrease payment. As such, an adjuster is someone to beware of rather than trust. Avoiding being taken advantage of by an insurance adjuster is possible as long as you treat him with the appropriate amount of caution.
Provide Only Necessary Information
The adjuster’s job is to investigate the car accident; he is tasked with the duty of inspecting automobiles, obtaining repair estimates and interviewing the parties involved in the accident. It is therefore not your job to provide the adjuster with any information other than the basic facts and your contact information. An adjuster should be able to gather all the information he needs for his estimate on his own.
Keep Your Comments Simple
When interviewed by an adjuster, answer only those questions that you have answers for and do not hesitate to say that you do not know if you are asked a question that you do not understand or have any knowledge about. Many individuals make the mistake of believing an adjuster to be on their side during the investigation, but this is not the case. Any additional information you provide an adjuster may be later turned against you to deny or reduce your claim.
Refer the Adjuster to Your Attorney
If you are represented by an attorney, request that the adjuster direct any and all questions to your attorney for answering. Additionally, if you fear that your insurance company will be unfair in their damage assessment, request that your attorney be present during the adjuster’s inspection or when he is obtaining estimates from repair shops.
Ask for Copies of Documents
Another good way to avoid being taken advantage of by an insurance adjuster is to ask for copies of any and all documents the adjuster receives or produces during his investigation. These documents will show you what the adjuster looked at in creating his value, what he used to devalue your claim, if applicable, and the places from which he obtained his information. Not only should you be entitled to all documents produced by your insurance company regarding your claim, but these documents may be able to assist you in the future should you decide to take the company to court.
Getting Legal Help
If you believe that you are in danger of being taken advantage of by an insurance company claims adjuster, seek legal representation for your claim. When dealing with an attorney, adjusters are less likely to pull tricks and scam claimants because most attorneys are aware of their tricks and prevent them from relying on them while doing their job.
