In the aftermath of an accident, you’ll likely be faced with several unforeseen expenses, such as medical bills, lost work and property damage. If the accident was due to the negligence of another party and your costs exceed your own PIP coverage, you can file a personal injury claim with the at-fault driver’s insurance company to pursue compensation for your injuries and monetary losses.

When you file a personal injury claim, your case is assigned to an insurance claims adjuster. You may assume this person is unbiased and is working diligently to get you the compensation you’re owed. Unfortunately, this couldn’t be further from the truth. While the adjuster is working hard, their commitment isn’t to you, but to their employer. Their main goal is to settle your claim as quickly and cheaply as possible.

How Insurance Adjusters Operate

An insurance claims adjuster works on behalf of an insurance company and handles personal injury and property damage claims. Once your case is in the hands of an adjuster, their job is to investigate the details of your claim and determine whether you’re owed compensation for damages and how much the settlement should be.

In reality, insurance adjusters are trained to find ways to justify denying or decreasing the value of your claim. This often means attempting to prove you were at fault for the accident or at least partially to blame.

They’ll likely look for ways to delegitimize your claim and lower or completely deny your settlement payout. No matter how friendly the adjuster may come across, remember they’re working for the insurance company, not you.

If dealing with your insurance adjuster seems overwhelming, recognize they’re deliberately making you feel this way. The goal is to wear you out just enough to accept less than you deserve. To accomplish this, insurance adjusters use a diverse array of manipulative tactics to trick you into accepting an underpaid settlement.

Looking for Ways to Discredit Your Story

The insurance adjuster may ask you for an official statement describing the details of your accident. The purpose of this request is to look for opportunities to poke holes in your story. For example, if you were diagnosed with whiplash but failed to mention neck pain in your statement, the adjuster may later dispute your medical charge for the treatment of whiplash.

How to avoid this trap: Refrain from giving any official statements without consulting a personal injury lawyer first. If you must provide information, be careful what you say. Never admit fault and don’t let the adjuster put words in your mouth. Always report all your injuries, even the mildest discomfort you experience after a car crash or accident.

Delaying a Resolution

An adjuster will deliberately delay your claim to make you desperate for a resolution. Once you’ve grown frustrated and desperate (especially if your injury is keeping you out of work), you’ll be more likely to accept a lower offer, which is the insurance adjuster’s primary goal.

How to avoid this trap: Write down the details of every conversation you have with your adjuster and try to make them commit do a follow-up deadline. Don’t be afraid to follow up and ask for a supervisor if they miss that date. Hire a personal injury lawyer who can communicate with your adjuster on your behalf and help prevent them from further delaying your claim and lowballing our settlement offer.

Requesting Unnecessary Information

Some documents your insurance adjuster may request are necessary to support your claim; however, others may be requested to purposely stall the resolution of your claim.

You may be asked to provide documentation you’ve already submitted, such as medical records or bills, or your adjuster may request documents unrelated to your accident. These repeated requests for unnecessary information are meant to frustrate you so you’re likely to accept much less compensation than your claim is worth.

How to avoid this trap: Ask the adjuster why they need information that seems irrelevant to your claim. If they cannot give you a straight answer, request to speak with a supervisor. If these deceptive tactics persist, involve an attorney in your claim.

A Personal Injury Lawyer Can Help You Deal with an Insurance Claims Adjuster

If your accident has resulted in mounting medical bills and other unforeseen expenses, dealing with an unethical insurance adjuster can leave you feeling hopeless, discouraged and emotionally drained.

You shouldn’t be forced to choose between your emotional wellbeing and fair compensation. To improve the likelihood of receiving a fair settlement, consider hiring an experienced personal injury lawyer who can help you build a compelling personal injury case, negotiate with the insurance adjuster on your behalf and represent you in court if the insurance company isn’t willing to offer you adequate compensation.

Contact Kanner & Pintaluga for Help with Your Florida Personal Injury Claim

Are you faced with the daunting task of dealing with an unethical insurance claims adjuster? At Kanner & Pintaluga, our team of personal injury lawyers has years of experience handling insurance adjusters and their dirty tricks. We understand the importance of your claim and aren’t afraid to fight aggressively for the compensation you deserve.

To speak to one of our experienced attorneys, call 800.586.5555.