When you sustain injuries as a result of someone else’s negligence,
you have the right to pursue compensation against the at-fault party.
This party will likely be backed by an insurance company. An adjuster
will be assigned to you to help you with your claim, but their interest
is not in serving you, rather it is in saving money for their employer,
the insurance company. Even if they appear to be helpful, it is important
to be aware that they have no loyalty to you, and will do what they can
to make sure their employer does not end up having to adequately compensate you.
When dealing with any insurance company, the adjuster will often attempt to quickly make a settlement offer, hoping that you would rather take quick cash instead of risking your chances in court. The amount they offer will likely not begin to cover your injuries, but they know that you may be upset, distressed, and probably will not entirely understand the scope of your injuries, recovery time, or future medical expenses. They will prey on this vulnerability with the expectation that you will make an impulsive decision when faced with the opportunity to receive an immediate settlement.
Insurance companies are not always eager to make offers, however. They might employ other tactics to avoid paying you at all, such as requesting treatment records, waiting for the statute of limitations to run out on your case, or disputing fault and liability entirely.
Another common practice is to ask for all of your past medical records. The point of this is not to simply learn what they can about your injury, but to try to pick through your medical history to see if there is anything that can be used against you, such as a previous injury or pre-existing condition. For example, if you injured your back in a car accident, they will try to find any information they can about previous back complaints to lessen the strength of your claims, no matter how insignificant it may seem.
Remember, insurance adjusters work for large and powerful insurance companies that want to protect their bottom line and keep profits as high as possible. They are not in business to pay out every claim filed by injured victims, and they are certainly not in business to offer victims what they truly deserve when it threatens their profitability. Unlike these corporations would like us to believe, insurance adjusters and insurance companies are all too often not on your side, especially when you are a victim who has been harmed by one of their policy holders.
Ultimately, it is important to understand that insurance adjusters do not serve you, and that you need to be careful about what you say and do when interacting with them. To ensure your rights are protected when communicating with adjusters and insurance companies, and that you are not taken advantage of, you should work with an experienced attorney as you navigate the personal injury claim process. At our firm, we have the necessary experience and resources to not only handle all communication with insurance providers, but to also level the playing field with big businesses that put profits over people. When they are working against you, you can have the support of a proven legal team that fights for you and for the compensation you deserve.
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