When an automobile accident occurs, talking to an Insurance Adjuster can have devastating consequences. As a result of taking on such a daunting task, the victim of a personal injury is more likely to make mistakes resulting in detrimental results.
How Personal Injury Cases are Handled?
When someone is injured in a car accident, the next concern is who is legally responsible for the mishap. Insurance firms have a strong interest in safeguarding their financial interests. This is commonly achieved by denying as many claims as possible while negotiating the best possible settlement on the remaining claims.
When an insurance company is notified of an accident, it will initiate an inquiry to identify who was responsible. It allocates the matter to an insurance adjuster.
If both parties are at fault, it may be attempted to assign a degree of blame. The insurance adjuster may make a settlement offer if the victim proves damages.
If the victim suffered damages that are less than the settlement offer, they may not be satisfied. Insurance adjusters are employed by insurance companies, so there is no incentive for them to assist their clients to get more payouts.
Accident victims may be treated well by insurance adjusters and may feign concern for their injuries, but all this may be a disguise to get the victim to slip up and say something that could undermine their case.
Getting in Touch with an Insurance Adjuster can be Risky
Insurance adjusters will attempt to elicit information from the accident victim in order to use it against them. Many consumers are unaware of the strategies employed by insurance adjusters. They may feel comfortable sharing information with the adjuster until they realize their words are being used against them. People have a natural tendency to be truthful and expect to be treated fairly.
Although many people assume they understand the laws governing accident cases and that they have a good case, this is frequently not the case. Before a victim can receive just compensation, he or she may need to go through a series of legal processes.
An unwitting victim, on the other hand, may face a slew of legal hazards. Insurance adjusters frequently request that the victim give a recorded statement. The victim may be totally truthful in all aspects of his or her life.
If the insurance company is able to show that the recorded statement and the testimony are inconsistent, it should be able to show those statements at trial. Using this contradiction, the lawyer for the insurance company may be able to provoke the jury into considering the victim’s credibility in order to gain a verdict for the defendant and not for the victim.
The Need for Cooperation with Insurance Adjusters
The accident victim may be required to assist the insurance adjuster in specific circumstances. If he or she lives in a no-fault state, for example, he or she may be required to report the accident to his or her own insurance provider. After being involved in an accident, he or she may be contractually compelled to speak with his or her insurance provider.
If the accused has no or insufficient insurance in liability states, the victim may be entitled to file a claim under his or her own insurance policy’s uninsured motorist coverage. However, it is not always necessary to speak with the opposing party’s insurance adjuster.
Be Cautious while dealing with Insurance Adjuster
Insurance companies might also try to get the victim to sign a medical release form in addition to extracting information for use against them and getting a recorded statement. With this document, the insurance company is granted permission to receive the victim’s medical records. The release is commonly much broader than it should be.
Moreover, the insurer may try to use the information gained in this process in denying a claim based on a prior injury in order to use this against the victim.
How can an Attorney Help?
Automobile accident victims are encouraged to consult a personal injury lawyer at Deldar Legal Injury Attorneys. In addition to explaining how the victim should proceed in the process, a lawyer can handle communication with the insurance company so that the victim does not make any mistakes that could negatively impact their claim.