It would be perfectly understandable if you were not thinking straight shortly after being involved in an accident but if you are not on your guard it could be costly if you encounter a claim adjuster who is intent on reducing or eliminating any potential payout.
It often pays to have some skilled car accident lawyers on your side to ensure that you get the payout you deserve and it would also be a good idea to be wise to some of the unethical tricks an insurance loss adjuster might get up to.
Getting you to admit it was your fault
Even when you consider that you have a cast-iron case that suggests a verdict should go in your favor you should be aware that a claims adjuster might attempt to get you to admit it was your fault.
It is highly unlikely that they will admit liability for an accident even when the circumstances are compelling and in addition to not admitting liability, they could attempt to suggest you may be at fault due to a variety of different circumstances.
Be careful how you answer questions, especially when they phrased in a way to make you sound like the accident could be your fault. Perhaps you have been treated unfairly, and are wondering how to change car insurance policies. One of the best ways is to use comparison sites. Comparison sites show prices, but they also provide customer reviews and trust ratings.
Be cautious about signing anything
An insurance adjuster might give you some documents to sign, including a request to access your medical records, which could give them access to information they might use against you.
Take some professional advice before signing something that could prejudice your case. If the accident was a very serious and tragic one, that professional advice might be that you need to file legal action for a wrongful death case so it’s definitely worth speaking to someone for help.
Take some professional advice before signing something that could prejudice your case.
Avoid putting your claim on tape
It might be suggested that you put your side of the story on tape, but that is something you should refuse to do.
It is amazing how your seemingly innocuous response to certain questions could be interpreted in a way that you did not intend, so don’t fall for this classic tactic in an attempt to twist your words.
When they play hard to get
Another tactic employed by some insurance claim adjusters is to avoid your calls and correspondence in the hope that you might decide that it is all too much hassle and give up your claim.
The fact that they use this method tells you that some people do indeed give up on a valid claim. Don’t be deterred if you find that your calls and emails do not get a response.
Someone’s watching you
You should also be aware that if the insurance adjuster believes that your injuries are not as serious as you are claiming they might put you under surveillance.
Even if they actually consider your injuries to be serious they may resort to surveillance in order to try and limit their liability by attempting to catch you doing some activity they could use against you.
Be wary of posting on social media too, as they will attempt to search out images or posts that could be used to try and deny your claim.
Finally, an insurance adjuster will often try to tell you that you don’t need a lawyer, and that is precisely why you do need professional help to ensure you get the payout due to you.
