7 Secrets Your Insurance Adjuster Does Not Want You to Know | 2020

The reason we all have car insurance is to protect ourselves and our families. We want peace of mind that we will be taken care of in the event of an accident. And commonly, we think of our insurance company as an entity that will look out for us when we need it the most. However, this is often not the case. 

Insurance adjusters are the experts in the field of insurance and we would like to believe that they would use their expertise to put our best interest first. Car insurance is a fundamental part of responsible adulthood, not to mention required by law in some capacity in just about every state. Unfortunately, in our experience, it can be difficult to get fair compensation from insurance companies – no matter who is at fault. Insurance adjusters specialize in a deep understanding of all things insurance and they have some tricks of the trade that they do not want you to know.

7 Secrets Your Insurance Adjuster Does Not Want You to Know:

1. They don’t work for you. 

Don’t let insurance adjusters fool you. The first secret is that they are not really “on your side.” They will be friendly and kind over the phone but at the end of the day, they work for the insurance company. They are paid to keep money in the hands of their employer, the insurance company, which means that they negotiate the lowest payout possible for you after an accident. You’ll want to stay reserved if you have to speak to them over the phone.

2. They may rush or delay the timeline.

If you feel rushed or hurried in your claim, this is a tactic often implemented to create a sense of urgency. This will cause you to feel flustered and it is their hope that you would settle quickly for a lower amount than you are owed. 

On the other end of the spectrum, an adjuster may delay your claim over and over again. This strategy is used when they hope that, after a while, you’ll just give up trying – leaving money on the table. 

3. They will try to lowball you.

As we mentioned, insurance adjusters are hired by insurance companies to save them money. Their goal is to keep as much money within the company as possible. In some cases, they may just deny your claim from the start. It’s difficult to know whether you’ve been compensated fairly as there is no real equation. If you have specific concerns, please feel free to reach out to us. It is always a good idea to have an experienced personal injury attorney on your side to ensure that you get the the compensation you deserve.

4. They will try to dispute your medical bills.

Within their friendly conversations, insurance adjusters will lead you to believe that copayments and medical bills related to your accident will be taken care of in the insurance claim. They will tell you that you will be 100% compensated for these related medical costs – if only it was that easy. After the fact, they may come back and tell you that your medical costs were deemed unnecessary and that they will not be covered. 

5.  They will ask you for too much information. 

They will need documentation, receipts, reports, and all records pertaining to your claim. This is standard and required to get your case resolved, however, be careful that they don’t ask for too much information. They should not need any documents or medical history from before your accident. 

They may also ask you “gotcha questions” that trick you into saying things that hurt your claim. This is why talking to an attorney before speaking to any insurance adjusters is a critical step to take to ensure you get the maximum compensation owed to you. 

6. An insurance adjuster is a trained negotiator.

Insurance adjusters are trained to try to negotiate with you. That means, you will hear things like “you will get less than that after the attorney takes his fee ” or “that’s my best offer.” These are tactics to trick you. These individuals have been put through training programs by some of the top insurance defense attorneys and negotiators who know the right legal language to convince you that your case is only worth a certain amount. Be careful not to fall for these tactics. 

7. You should talk to a personal injury attorney.

All in all, filing an insurance claim can be confusing and intimidating. Some claims are simpler than others and insurance companies are not all bad. They are still required to assess your claim in good faith while considering the terms of your insurance policy, federal and state law as well as any promises they’ve made to you. If you are encountering difficulty in your auto insurance claim, we recommend that you talk to a personal injury attorney as soon as possible. 

If you have any specific concerns about auto insurance claims or insurance adjusters, please let us know. We would be happy to help you.

Call us directly at 727-888-3925 with any questions.

The Pipas Law Team