Posted On January 3, 2012 Personal Injury

Do’s and Dont’s of Talking With an Insurance Adjuster

When you have been injured in an accident you will be dealing a lot with insurance adjusters both from your insurance company and that of the other party. The insurance adjuster’s job is to try and minimize the amount of money the company has to pay out as much as possible. When you have a phone interview with an adjuster there are things you are required to tell them, but saying too much could hurt your personal injury claim. It can be very intimidating to talk to these representatives, and mistakes can be made. It is important to know what you should do and what you should avoid to make sure these interviews do not hurt or limit your claim.

Don’t

Let them record the conversation. They will ask if you agree to have the conversation recorded, do not allow this. They may use something you said, that you thought was harmless, to contradict statements later in your case.
Only discuss basic facts. The adjuster may attempt to make small talk in order to make you more comfortable with talking to them. Do not discuss anything beyond the principal facts of your accident. This means only talking about the type of accident (i.e. motor vehicle, slip-and-fall, etc.), the location of the accident, and the date and time it occurred.
Sign or agree to anything. Do not agree to anything they offer or sign any documents without having a skilled attorney review your case. Do not be fooled into believing that they are giving you a quick and fair offer. A knowledgeable lawyer will know the tricks insurance companies try to use and they will be able to thwart those attempts in order to get you the compensation you deserve.

Do

Write down their information. Take down the information of the person you are speaking with including their name, the address and phone number of the office they are calling from and the insurance company’s main office.
Take notes. It is important to keep documentation of what you discuss with the insurance adjuster. If need be, you can refer back to the notes if a problem arises in the future.
Be general. Do not go into detail about your injuries. There is no way of knowing just how serious the injuries are until your doctors have completed a full assessment. Give a basic description of your injury and inform the adjuster that you will provide them with a complete and detailed description once your doctors have fully evaluated the injuries.
Contact a personal injury attorney. Studies show that those who seek the help of a skilled New Jersey personal injury lawyer receive, on average, 3.5 times more money than those who don’t. The lawyers at Console & Associates P.C. have 25 years’ experience going up against some of the biggest names in the insurance industry, and they know how to prevent these companies from reducing your claim. If you choose to hire an attorney, they will handle all correspondence with the adjusters so you don’t have to.

Call (866) 778-5500 today and set up your free, confidential consultation.

Do’s and Dont’s of Talking With an Insurance Adjuster

Don’t

Do

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