There are several classes of insurance claims adjusters including staff adjusters, who are employed by an insurance company, independent adjusters who are independent contractors, and public adjusters who are employed by you, the policy holder. It is likely if you are going into an interview with an insurance adjuster regarding a recent car accident, you will be dealing with either a staff adjuster or an independent adjuster.
What Does an Insurance Adjuster Do?
The job of the insurance adjuster is to:
- respond to claims in a timely manner
- communicate with the policy holder
- investigate the liability of the accident
- assess the damages and substantiate each aspect of the claim while protecting the interests of the insurance company.
It could be very much to your advantage to hire an experienced attorney so your interests are protected as well.
Getting the Maximum Amount for Your Vehicle
If your goal is to get the maximum insurance amount for your vehicle, or to ensure that your medical bills are fully covered, it is absolutely imperative that you understand the entire process before the insurance adjuster arrives on your doorstep. Dealing with an insurance adjuster is really all about negotiating strategy. It is the adjuster's job to assess the damages as low as possible, and it is your job or your attorney's job to make sure you get what is fair compensation for your vehicle. Don't allow the insurance adjuster to coerce you or intimidate you into a low settlement amount. You should already have in your mind an idea of the amount you want to settle for based on your research as to how much the vehicle will cost to repair.
Making Sure Your Injuries are Covered
The second part of your settlement will relate to injuries you sustained in the auto accident as well as payment for days lost from your work. Even if your company paid you by using your vacation and sick days off, you will still want the insurance company to reimburse you--who wants to spend their vacation days recuperating from a car accident? When negotiating the settlement for injuries caused by your accident, remember you need to cover not only the current bills but any future medical expenses. As far as the pain and suffering portion of your settlement, remember that the normal amount is three times your medical bills.
In order to be fully prepared for the insurance claims adjuster interview, you need to have ready all relevant paperwork such as:
- Police reports from the accident
- Photos of the damage to your vehicle
- Photos of your injuries or injuries to your passengers
- Medical bills
- Doctor's reports
- Statement of amount of lost wages from your employer
Having all paperwork in front of you can jog your memory, reminding you of the exact sequence of events on the day of the accident. Don't forget that having a great personal injury attorney on your side can make this process much simpler to navigate.
