Car insurance adjusters are not all equally fair. Some may be more than fair, while others will offer you inadequate compensation for damages. You may not be aware, but you have the right to dispute the adjuster's assessment of damages. An attorney can help you handle an unscrupulous car insurance adjuster.
How You Can Protect Yourself After an Accident
The time following a major car accident can be disheveled. There are so many additional things to take care of including phone calls, paperwork and dealing with injuries and damage to your vehicle. All of this is stacked on top of your normal responsibilities making for a stressful time. An attorney can help to relieve some of the stress you are dealing with by handling the insurance adjuster on your behalf.
It is fairly easy to find out how much your vehicle is worth by checking blue book values for similar vehicles. Once you know your vehicle's value, you can assess whether the insurance adjuster has offered you a fair settlement. If he has not, it is time to get a lawyer to do the talking for you. A phone call from an attorney may be all that is required to get the adjuster to adjust his offer. There are some insurance companies who make a practice of offering a low ball settlement. It saves them money, and some people just take the settlement thinking that they do not have any other options. That is not true though. You do have the option to refuse the settlement if it is too low.
If there are medical bills, lost wages or pain and suffering that need to be compensated, it can be even more difficult to get a fair settlement from an unscrupulous adjuster. Protect yourself by making sure you obtain documentation of all of the bills for which you need to be compensated. Make copies, and provide the adjuster with one copy. If you do not get an offer that includes these expenses, you need to involve an attorney in your claim.
Getting Legal Help
If you are dealing with an unscrupulous car insurance adjuster after an accident, you may need the help of an attorney familiar with handling such individuals. Attorneys have a way of accomplishing results in accident cases. That is because they are skillful at negotiating and dealing with difficult individuals. The threat of a lawsuit can be sufficient motivation for some insurance adjusters to make a fair deal.
