Things to say to an insurance adjuster to file an injury claim or lawsuit
Posted By
on May 9, 2011 6:48pm PDT
A common question asked by callers to our Missouri personal injury law firm is "what should I say to a claims adjuster in order to obtain an injury settlement"? While the answer really depends on what type of incident caused the injury, the best advice in any situation is
as little as possible! So what tell the insurance claims adjuster as little as possible? Because everything you say may be recorded and used against you when it actually comes time to negotiate a settlement or seek a jury verdict. Unless you are an
experienced personal injury attorney, you should not be talking to the insurance company of the responsible party, at least not until you have completed ALL medical treatment, sought the counsel of a lawyer, and have a complete accounting of all damages, both economic and non-economic.
Insurance claims adjusters love to rope victims into settlements as quickly and cheaply as possible. The insurance representative knows that many victims don't realize how badly they are actually hurt until weeks, or months after an accident. This is problematic because many people involved in car accidents, truck accidents, or other incidents involving negligence are in a state of economic duress, and they will accept just about any settlement offer, no matter how ridiculous or insulting it is. Think about it: If you don't know how bad your injuries are, or what the long term prognosis for recovery is, you are more likely to accept minimal compensation for a claim.
As a seasoned St. Louis car accident lawyer, I assure you that more injustice is caused by unrepresented injury victims after the first few weeks following an accident than we care to acknowledge. I have disturbing phone calls from victims who have had expensive surgeries, but cannot be compensated because they already settled their case just a few weeks after the accident for "pennies on the dollar." Never, ever sign a settlement agreement or accept an offer until you have first sought the advice of an attorney. Equally important is to refrain from discussing the details of your case with an insurance company without guidance of counsel.
To learn more about how founding partner Stephen Schultz has first hand experience of being the victim of a serious car accident, visit the personal injury information center or call (314) 448-0934 to speak with a lawyer immediately.