Should I Hire an Attorney Before Speaking With an Insurance Adjuster?

Often after a car accident, an insurance adjuster will attempt to quickly settle the case. This means they will try to discredit your claim. If you or a loved one has been injured in an automotive accident, you should talk to a dedicated St. Mary’s County auto accident lawyer. If you would like to learn more about how to handle an interaction with an insurance adjuster, please read on.

What is an Insurance Adjuster?

An insurance adjuster is essentially an individual who investigates on behalf of an insurance company. When a claim is made by a policyholder or a plaintiff files a suit against a policyholder, the adjuster will investigate all aspects of the claim in order to determine what actually happened during the incident in question. The insurance company is trying to determine if they have to pay for damages.

What Should I Know About Speaking with Insurance Adjusters After an Auto Accident?

The first thing you should know about speaking to an insurance adjuster is they are not on your side. It is better to say nothing at all to avoid being taken advantage of. You should advise them to contact your attorney. A number of tactics are used by insurance adjusters to persuade accident victims to admit some degree of fault or minimize their injuries. Insurance adjusters try to ask you questions about the accident, potentially trying to use what you say about the accident against you. Insurance adjusters will try to twist what you’ve told them. You should never admit that you were at fault to an insurance adjuster. Legally, you have no obligation to answer any of their questions.

What Tactics do Insurance Adjusters Use?

One of the main tactics an insurance adjuster will use is showing up at your home unannounced. They are trying to catch you in a manner that could potentially hurt your case. They are trying to gather evidence that supports their claims. For example, if you sustained a knee injury and an insurance adjuster captures proof of you running just days after the injury happened, they would present this as evidence to demonstrate your injuries are not what you claimed them to be. They will watch you in hopes of catching this type of behavior which can help their case.

Insurance adjusters will even go as far as requesting your medical records. By granting access to the adjusters, you give them the power to use your medical history against you. If you have prior medical issues that can be linked to your injuries, the adjusters will try to use that against you. Insurance Adjusters will try to persuade you that you do not need an attorney because it gives them the upper hand. They want to be able to ask questions that diminish the extent of your injuries. It is imperative for anyone involved in an auto accident to contact a trusted Leonardtown personal injury lawyer to help you navigate interactions with insurance adjusters.