If you file a car insurance claim for a minor dent or slight scuff, your insurer will often quickly approve it \u2014 after all, it\u2019s cheaper for them to pay for the damage than it is to hire an adjuster to investigate. However, insurers are in the business of making money, and if your vehicle has major damage, they\u2019ll likely want to inspect it first. Technically speaking, adjusters are supposed to be impartial. But more often than not, they try to do whatever they can to devalue your claim. Here are a few insurance adjuster claim tactics to watch for.<\/p>
\nIs your insurance company sending an adjuster your way? You should always be polite and cooperative, but you should also be wary. Thankfully, if an adjuster unfairly devalues your claim, a car accident lawyer might be able to help.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
Immediate Lowball Offers<\/h2>\n
Some insurance adjusters count on customers\u2019 being desperate for money (or just impatient to have their claims approved) when providing estimates and offers. Your adjuster may assess the damage to your vehicle and then send you an immediate offer that\u2019s substantially less than you asked for.<\/p>\n
This is sadly common in car accident<\/a> cases involving serious injuries. When you\u2019re struggling to pay medical bills and are unable to work, a $10,000 settlement might sound great \u2014 even if you could get a much larger settlement by filing a lawsuit.<\/p>\n
Don\u2019t fall for this tactic. At the very least, you should talk to a personal injury lawyer before you sign any kind of settlement offer. Most lawyers offer free consultations. If an attorney thinks your case might be worth far more than the offer you received, they might agree to represent you.<\/p>\n
Claiming the Damage Was Pre-Existing<\/h2>\n
Some insurance adjusters will try to get out of paying claims by insisting the damage to your vehicle existed prior to the accident. If they do this, you should politely but firmly tell them this is not the case. If you happen to have photos of the car before the crash, these could be helpful \u2014 but don\u2019t make the mistake of thinking you\u2019re obligated to accept the adjuster\u2019s claim if you can\u2019t disprove it.<\/p>\n
If your adjuster is denying or underpaying a claim because they believe the damage is pre-existing, it\u2019s worth consulting a car accident lawyer. Sometimes, all it takes is a quick conversation between your lawyer and the insurance company to resolve the problem. If that doesn\u2019t work, your attorney might be able to help you appeal the decision or take legal action if the insurer is acting in bad faith<\/a>.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re filing a personal injury lawsuit rather than making a claim about vehicular damage, adjusters may attempt to use this same dishonest tactic. Your lawyer may be able to collect statements from your doctors and copies of your medical records to prove your injury was not the result of a pre-existing condition.<\/p>\n
Saying There\u2019s Insufficient Evidence<\/h2>\n
If you’ve ever filed an insurance claim, you already know that you need to attach ample evidence. However, some unethical insurers who don\u2019t want to pay a claim will tell you there isn\u2019t enough evidence. For instance, if you file a personal injury claim for serious injuries after an accident, an insurer might say that your medical records are insufficient to prove the extent of your injuries. They might undervalue your claim or deny it outright.<\/p>\n
In these circumstances, some people give up. They may be overwhelmed as they are trying to heal and confused as to what evidence the insurer needs. This is an area in which a lawyer can be helpful. Your attorney can determine what evidence is necessary in order to definitively prove your claim. If the insurance company continues to refuse to pay, it might be necessary to file a lawsuit.<\/p>\n
Trouble dealing with your adjuster? Call Terry Bryant Accident & Injury Law now at (713) 973-8888 or toll-free 1 (800) 444-5000 for a free and confidential consultationf!<\/b><\/p>\n
Conducting Surveillance<\/h2>\n
Your Insurance Adjuster Might Be Spying on You<\/h3>\n
Police officers who are investigating crimes aren\u2019t the only ones who conduct surveillance. When working on your claim, your insurance adjuster may look for evidence that you aren\u2019t as injured as you say you are. Adjusters don\u2019t have the same power that police do (for instance, they probably aren’t going to wiretap your phone), but they often comb through social media to look for anything that may discredit your claims of injury.<\/p>\n
For example, imagine you file an insurance claim for a back injury you suffered in a truck accident<\/a>. You claim you are unable to go to work or lift more than a few pounds. An insurance adjuster scrolls through your social media pages, finds pictures of you lifting weights at the gym, posted after the accident, and uses them as a basis to deny your claim, even though the photos were taken prior to your accident.<\/p>\n
This is a fairly extreme example, and insurance adjusters can often twist what you post to make it seem like you were at fault for an accident or that you\u2019re exaggerating your injuries. That\u2019s why most personal injury lawyers advise their clients to stay off social media for the duration of their case.<\/p>\n
Deliberately Convoluted Denials<\/h2>\n
Most people aren’t experts when it comes to understanding the language of insurance policies, and unscrupulous insurers use that fact to their advantage. Sometimes, an insurance adjuster trying to avoid paying a claim will send you a denial letter with unclear, jargon-filled language explaining why something isn\u2019t covered.<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, many people understandably assume that the insurance adjuster knows what they\u2019re talking about, and they don’t pursue the issue further.<\/p>\n