What Should I Say To An Insurance Claims Adjuster After A Car Accident?

Just about everyone who drives will wind up in at least one car accident throughout a lifetime of driving. That means just about everyone will have to file a car accident claim with their respective insurers. It also means just about everyone will have to talk to an insurance claims adjuster. Some tips for speaking to a claims adjsuter after an auto accident could help you to get the best possible settlement for your losses.

Know What the Adjuster Does

Knowing what to say often means knowing what the insurance adjuster does. An insurance adjuster does not represent you or any other drivers who might have been in the accident.

The adjuster represents the insurance company that pays the adjuster and no one else. That means the adjuster is looking to limit the potential liability and, if possible, deny your claim.

Be Wary of Innocent Questions

Ideally, the accident obviously would have been the fault of another driver or a third party and overwhelming evidence proves that. That can make it much easier to talk to a claims adjuster.

But even in such cases, the adjuster might ask you something seemingly innocent, like: How are you feeling? If you say that you feel good, that response might reduce your settlement for pain and suffering.

That is just one example of how a claims adjuster might get you to say things that could negatively affect your claim.

Focus on the Friendly Facts

You likely would wonder, “what should I say to an auto accident claims adjuster” after you were in a car accident. The general answer is to say nothing that might incriminate you or cause a reduction of your potential settlement.

You should focus on the facts of what happened and provide any evidence that supports your side of the story. Do not expect an at-fault driver to admit to causing an accident.

There is a very good chance the other driver will lie and blame you. Then the adjuster has to try to figure out which driver is lying. And the adjuster who represents the insurer for the at-fault driver is not necessarily concerned with learning the truth.

Attorney Contact Information

Ultimately, the smartest thing that you could say to an insurance claims adjuster is: “I have an attorney and this is my attorney’s contact information.” When you hire a car accident attorney, all insurers, legal representatives and bill collectors must contact your attorney instead of you.

So long as the attorney is retained and the case is active, the attorney always is the first point of contact. Having an attorney also gets the attention of the respective insurers. That helps you to hold the liable party accountable and get the best possible settlement.

Categorised in: Personal Injury Lawyer