There are many misconceptions about what happens after a car accident and how an injury victim in California recovers the expenses and other compensation which they deserve. Here are a few suggestions for how you should handle first contact with an insurance adjuster.
Insurance adjusters are highly trained and skilled insurance experts. Their job is simple: settle your personal injury claim for the lowest possible amount. They are usually highly personable and their bosses want them to settle your injury claim as soon as possible.
The first thing you should know is to be very careful about what you say to any insurance company representative. It is important not to discuss the extent of your injuries, provide access to your medical records or medical bills, or even say how you are feeling. Remember, insurance adjusters are attempting to get you to make statements which they will use against you later.
They will often ask “can you tell me in your own words what happened” while they record valuable evidence. Don’t fall for this easy trap. It is very important not to provide any statements as they may not reflect what you and your medical providers discover down the road. Simply decline to make any statement or tell them anything about the accident itself. Making statements to an insurance adjuster is simply not in your interest.
Insurance adjusters want you to make a quick decision, to settle your case as quickly as possible. This is also against your best interests. They may also ask you to sign a medical release form in order to “verify” your injuries. It is extremely important not to sign anything without having it reviewed by an experienced personal injury attorney.
In addition to these suggestions for how you should handle first contact with an insurance adjuster you also need to know there is only one settlement in a personal injury case. You will not be reimbursed for expenses as you go and what you recover from the insurance company can and will be of interest to those you owe for medical treatment and other expenses. This settlement must cover every past, present and future expense related to your injuries including all medical expenses, lost wages and compensation for being forced to endure injury and recovery.
It will take some time for all symptoms associated with your injuries to fully present. It will take even more time for the doctors in your case to definitively tell you the extent of your injuries and what you are facing in the long term.
We hope these suggestions for how you should handle first contact with an insurance adjuster help to protect your rights and better inform your insights into crucial conversations after an accident. Rivers Morrell has more than 40 years of experience as a personal injury attorney in Orange County, Los Angeles and the Inland Empire. We invite you to review the strong recommendations of our clients and the legal industry and contact the Law Firm of Rivers J. Morrell or call (949)305-1400.
