After an injury or accident, you’ll likely need to speak with an insurance adjuster, also known as a claim adjuster. Their job is to decide if you should be financially responsible for the incident, and if they’re not your own insurance company, then they’ll certainly try their hardest to pin the bill on you. That’s why speaking to an adjuster can be like walking through a minefield, where any wrong statement can be used against you. For this reason, I recommend you always speak with a lawyer before having that conversation. However, sometimes it’s inevitable, and you’ll have to speak with a claim adjuster even without an attorney. In that case, you should keep a few things in mind, such as what exactly not to do when talking to an insurance adjuster. Don’t get too friendly. When you get on the phone, this worker may seem surprisingly sympathetic and welcoming. While they may seem friendly, you must keep things professional and get to the point. The last thing you want is to get too comfortable and share personal information, be it about your health, medical history, or the events of the accident. No matter how nice, they will use this information against you since the conversation will always be recorded for later use. Keep the conversation professional and brief. You don’t want to end up oversharing and ultimately losing your case because of it. Don’t lose your cool. Another main problem some clients have is that they might take out their frustrations on the claim adjuster. We get it. Navigating Everything You Shouldn’t Say to Adjusters A GUIDE TO SPEAKING WITH INSURANCE COMPANIES
long-winded legal processes, medical bills, injuries, and the aftermath of the accident is no easy journey, especially when facing the possibility of it all being out of your pocket. However, yelling or mistreating an adjuster can make matters worse, as they’ll be less likely to help you or work in your favor. As we said earlier, keep the conversation professional and maintain respect at all times. Don’t provide confidential records. On these calls, they may try to trick you into handing over your medical record and history. The claim adjuster might even say that not providing them can reduce your chances of receiving compensation. This is far from the truth; they have no legal right to access your medical history without your permission. The same rule applies to work history and salary information if you haven’t missed any wages. You only have to give them just enough information and none that will ever harm your case. These rules don’t necessarily apply when speaking with your own insurance company, as it is the law for them never to put their own interest higher than yours. This is called owing you a duty of fairness. If you or someone you know needs more guidance for handling conversations with insurance adjusters, negotiating settlements, and other personal injury legal processes, contact our expert team at (505) 268-6500 . We’ll do the heavy lifting for you.
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