Car Insurance Adjuster Secrets You Need to Know Before Filing a Claim

As you're about to file a claim with your car insurance, you might be wondering what's really going on behind the scenes. Car insurance adjusters have secrets that can either help or hurt your claim, and it's essential to know what to expect.

Car insurance adjusters typically have 30 days to investigate and settle a claim, but this timeframe can be extended with your consent.

Filing a claim can be a daunting experience, especially when you're dealing with the aftermath of an accident. But understanding the process and what to expect can make all the difference.

Car insurance adjusters often look for reasons to deny claims, so it's crucial to be honest and transparent about the incident and your involvement.

For your interest: How Much Does a Public Adjuster Make

Be cautious in your interactions with adjusters, as they may try to fish for an admission of guilt through cleverly designed questions.

Even innocent comments can be used against you to increase your perceived share of liability, which can lead to a lower payout for your damages.

Comparative negligence laws mean that the more fault the adjuster can attribute to you, the less their company has to pay out - for example, if you're 20% at fault, the adjuster ramping that up to 40% would only require them to pay 60% of your damages.

Suggestion: California and Rental Car Insurance No Fault

Insurance adjusters are sneaky, and they'll stop at nothing to reduce the amount of money they have to pay out on your claim. They might even go as far as to surveil you.

You could be under surveillance by an insurance adjuster, and they might even get video footage of you doing something that could hurt your claim. For example, if you have a broken leg and they catch you on camera leaning down to pick up a box, they could use that to argue that you're not as injured as you claim.

Insurance adjusters are also known to search social media for evidence that can hurt your claim. They might look for pictures or posts that show you doing things that contradict your injury claim, such as a sailing trip a couple of days after a car accident.

Be aware that your online activity can be used against you, so take care to use secure privacy settings on your social media accounts.

Worth a look: Insurance Adjusters Won

You may experience a difficult time getting in touch with an insurance claims adjuster, especially if they're handling approximately 150 cases at a time.

To avoid frustration, it's essential to be proactive and persistent in your communication with the adjuster. This includes leaving multiple messages, emails, or voicemails to ensure they receive your inquiry.

A claims adjuster may avoid communication in hopes that you'll get frustrated and give up, making it easier for them to sell you on a lowball settlement offer.

Your car insurance adjuster will likely be more focused on their company's bottom line than your financial recovery. They may employ dirty tricks to lower your potential settlement.

An insurance adjuster works for the insurance company, not for you. They will assess the damages, look into the details of the accident, speak with you and witnesses, and peruse accident records to determine how much the insurance company is on the hook for.

Avoid giving a recorded statement to an insurance company without your lawyer present, as this can be used to limit your settlement.

Recommended read: How to Negotiate a Settlement with an Insurance Claims Adjuster

Insurance companies often employ tactics to limit your claim, and it's essential to be aware of them. Their goal is to minimize their financial liability, not to ensure your financial recovery.

Insurance adjusters, who work for the insurance company, not you, can use various tricks to lower your potential settlement. They may try to get you to give a recorded statement without your lawyer present, which can be a major mistake.

Some common insurance adjuster tricks include delaying negotiations or settlement talks, delaying the payment of your claim, and refusing to offer a fair settlement in a timely manner. These tactics can put pressure on you to accept a lower settlement, which may not be in your best interest.

Insurance adjusters may also try to delay the claims process, hoping you'll accept a lower settlement due to financial pressure. This can be especially challenging if you're facing mounting medical bills and lost income.

A fresh viewpoint: Car Insurance Claim Settlement Ratio Irda

Here are some examples of bad faith insurance claims handling:

Insurance companies often ask for a recorded statement from you after an accident. However, this can be a trick to get you to say something that can be used against you later.

Insurance adjusters aim to get you on record, potentially using your own words against you later in the claims process. They are skilled at asking leading questions that might cause you to downplay your injuries inadvertently or even imply partial responsibility for the accident.

You are not obligated to provide a recorded statement to the other party's insurance adjuster, especially without legal representation. Doing so can jeopardize your claim, as adjusters can use your words to challenge the severity of your injuries or your account of the accident.

Before agreeing to any recorded statement, consult with an attorney. If you have an attorney, the insurance company cannot force you to give a recorded statement before proceeding with your claim.

A fresh viewpoint: Should I Give a Recorded Statement to the Insurance Adjuster

Insurance adjusters may ask questions like "You weren't really paying attention, right?" or "You never saw the driver, if I'm understanding you correctly, yes?" These questions can be designed to get you to admit to being partially responsible for the accident.

Here are some common tactics insurance adjusters use to get you to admit fault:

These questions can be tricky, and it's easy to inadvertently admit to being at fault. So, be cautious when giving a recorded statement and consider consulting with an attorney first.

Insurance adjusters often use tactics to get you to admit fault or partial responsibility for an accident. They may ask questions designed to make you unwittingly admit fault or responsibility.

Be cautious in your interactions with adjusters and avoid making statements that might be interpreted as an admission of guilt. Even seemingly innocuous comments can be used against you to increase your perceived share of liability.

Expand your knowledge: What Does a No Fault State Mean for Car Insurance

In Nevada, being more to blame than the other driver for the wreck can prevent you from suing, and even if you're less than 50% to blame, your compensation gets reduced by your proportion of fault.

Insurance adjusters are fishing for evidence to use against you, often requesting a recorded statement to talk about the accident. Be aware of how easy it is to inadvertently admit to being negligent or careless with just a simple "yeah" or "uh huh."

Here are some examples of loaded questions adjusters might ask to get you to admit fault:

Remember, the adjuster's goal is to reduce the amount of money they payout, so be careful with your responses and consider seeking the advice of a lawyer before making any statements.

Social media can be a treasure trove of evidence for insurance adjusters. They will comb through your accounts, looking for anything that could contradict your injury claims or suggest liability.

They might find a post from months before the accident that shows you engaging in physical activity, which could be misconstrued to prove your injuries are not as severe as claimed.

Insurance adjusters can also use your friends' posts against you if they tag you in something that could conceivably cast doubt on your claim.

Here are some examples of how social media can be used against you:

To protect yourself, limit your social media activity and tighten your privacy settings. It's also best not to post or be active on social media after an accident.

Insurance companies are increasingly using detectives to gather evidence against injured victims.

These detectives often blend in with the public, taking pictures and videos of people in their daily lives. They might even follow you to the grocery store or the park.

Insurance adjusters can record people in public, even if they're just doing mundane tasks like putting out the trash. This is a surprising invasion of privacy.

You might think you're being observed only when you're in a public place, but surveillance can happen anywhere. Even your own home can be subject to scrutiny.

Insurance companies will use any evidence they can find to dispute your claim. This means being mindful of your online and offline activities is crucial.

Being aware of your surroundings and what you're doing in public can help you avoid being recorded.

Social media can be a treasure trove for insurance adjusters looking for evidence to dispute your claims. They can comb through your accounts with a fine-tooth comb.

They'll look for anything that could cast doubt on your injury claims or suggest liability. This includes posts, pictures, or comments that contradict your claims.

Even if you don't post anything, your social media platforms may give away your location. An arrow might pop up on your account showing you've traveled to another state. An insurance adjuster might use this fact to argue that you must be feeling fine.

Your friends' posts can also be used against you. If they tag you in something that could conceivably cast doubt on your claim, it might be enough to raise doubts in a jury's mind.

Here are some things to be mindful of on social media during the claims process:

Limiting your social media activity and tightening your privacy settings can help protect you. However, most attorneys will tell you it's best not to post or be active on social media after an accident.

Insurance adjusters may use your lack of communication to their advantage, so it's essential to stay on top of your claim. They might stop contacting you in hopes that the statute of limitations will run out, leaving you with no option to recover through either the claims process or a lawsuit.

Adjusters are aware of the statute of limitations, which varies by state, but in Florida, it's four years from the day of the accident. Make sure to keep track of time to avoid losing your right to file a lawsuit.

Be cautious when signing medical record authorizations, as adjusters might request records unrelated to your accident, going back years. This is an attempt to find an old injury and blame it for your current condition.

For your interest: Does Auto Insurance Cover Civil Lawsuit

Insurance adjusters have been known to exploit communication gaps to their advantage. They may use the lack of communication to get you to settle for a small amount of money, unaware of the full extent of your losses.

This can happen when you receive a check in the mail with little to no communication from the adjuster beforehand. You may cash the check, thinking it's the only money you can recover, but it's often a minimal amount that barely covers your expenses.

Adjusters are also aware of the statute of limitations on your claim, which varies by state. In Florida, for example, most personal injury accidents have a statute of limitations of four years, starting from the day of the accident.

If your claim has been ongoing for some time, the adjuster may deliberately refuse to contact you, hoping the statute of limitations will expire. This can leave you unable to recover through either the claims process or a lawsuit.

Here are some common tactics adjusters use to avoid communication:

• You're given a general number, not the adjuster's direct line

• The adjuster is never in the office

• The adjuster doesn't return calls or respond to written communications

• The adjuster claims they need to research an issue or talk to someone else, but never gets back to you

These tactics are intentional, designed to create anxiety and uncertainty, making you more likely to accept a low settlement.

You're not obligated to provide a recorded statement to the other party's insurance adjuster, especially without legal representation. This can jeopardize your claim as adjusters can use your words to challenge the severity of your injuries or your account of the accident.

Adjusters are skilled at asking leading questions that might cause you to downplay your injuries inadvertently or even imply partial responsibility for the accident. They might ask seemingly innocuous questions that can be taken out of context and hurt your claim.

A different take: Questions to Ask Insurance Adjuster Water Damage

Before agreeing to any recorded statement, consult with an attorney. If you have an attorney, the insurance company cannot force you to give a recorded statement before proceeding with your claim. This is a crucial step to protect your rights and ensure you're not caught off guard.

A recorded statement can be a minefield of potential pitfalls, with adjusters waiting to pounce on any mistake or misstep. Even a simple "I'm fine" in response to a "How are you feeling today?" can make your injuries appear to be much less serious and extensive than they might be.

Insurance adjusters will scrutinize your medical history to challenge the severity of your injuries and minimize settlement offers. They may request extensive records, sometimes going back several years, to find pre-existing conditions to dispute the cause of your current physical state.

It's best not to authorize an insurance company to access your medical records directly. Instead, consult an attorney to ensure that only pertinent medical information gets shared with the other driver's insurance.

You may be asked to sign an authorization for your medical records, so be sure to read it carefully. The adjuster may request records unrelated to your accident, going back years before the injury even occurred.

If the adjuster obtains your complete medical history, they may try to find a decades-old wound and label it as the real cause of your current injury. This is another attempt to point the finger at someone other than their insured.

Adjusters may also ask you to attend an independent medical exam, which is a physical examination of your injuries by a medical professional chosen and paid by the insurance company.

On a similar theme: How to Negotiate with Insurance Adjuster Personal Injury