Insurance Adjusters: Remember Who They Work For
If you’ve been in an accident, you must decide whether to get a lawyer’s help in
making your claim. Insurance adjusters want you to settle your claim without
getting legal help. But settling too fast with an insurance adjuster usually
means you won’t get all the money you should. That’s why after an
accident you should get a lawyer’s help, even if the adjuster seems anxious
to pay you a modest amount to close the matter quickly.
When you make a claim to an insurance company, they assign it to an “adjuster.” Adjusters work for the insurance company, not you. Their job is to close the
file on your claim without paying too much money.
Many adjusters are polite to talk with. They handle many claims so they may
understand the problems you face. But even if the adjuster is pleasant or
friendly,
remember that his or her job is to act in the insurance company’s best
interests, not yours. This means trying to resolve your claim for as little
money as possible. A recent case is an example. Kim V. suffered serious
injuries when her car was hit. Her insurance company dragged out her
claim for months and then offered only a very small settlement. Kim
took her insurance company to court for the bad way it handled her
claim, and a court ruled for her. The evidence revealed that the
insurance company gave its adjusters raises if they kept payouts to
accident victims low.
After an accident, the adjuster may tell you a quick settlement will get you
money faster and save hassles. The adjuster may try to talk you out of calling a
lawyer, saying a lawyer will cost you money or can’t get you more money.
Adjusters say these things because the insurance company can close the file on
your claim for less money if you don’t have help from a lawyer.
Using a lawyer almost always results in a higher settlement than you’d get by
relying on the adjuster. Recently, a car insurer tried to settle an accident
claim for a small amount of money. After the policyholder hired a lawyer, the
insurer settled the claim for over 10 times its first offer.
If you’ve been in an accident, seek a lawyer’s help. Using a lawyer makes
recovering damages easier, and you’ll likely get more money. Never forget
that insurance adjusters — no matter what they say — work for the insurance company,
not you.
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