If you are hurt in a car accident, you will more than likely have to interact with an insurance adjuster to file a claim. In most circumstances, they will make an initial settlement offer. Almost invariably, this will be less than you deserve. Before you accept it, call The Law Offices of Larry H. Parker for a free legal consultation at 800-333-0000.
An insurance adjuster’s basic job description
An insurance adjuster investigates a personal injury case to learn the facts and gather evidence. They will examine the evidence and decide the value of the case. They may appear to be neutral in this description, but they work for the insurance company. Keep in mind that the insurance company’s purpose is to keep its costs as low as possible, which means offering you the smallest payout feasible.
Insurance companies and their adjusters will strive to reduce the likelihood of a lawsuit being brought, in addition to lowering payouts. The truth is that what a jury or judge pays a person after a major injury is frequently far more than what the insurance company would pay if the case were settled out of court.
A variety of elements influence the insurance adjuster’s decisions
In most circumstances, the insurance adjuster will try to persuade you to take the smallest payment available. In general, they will set a maximum monetary amount for each case and then make an initial offer of one-quarter to one-half of that amount. This allows them to negotiate if the wounded party suspects they are being under-served.
The insurance adjuster will consider the same factors that a jury would consider while deciding on damages. Current and future medical bills, lost income, pain and suffering, and mental distress are all factors to consider. Economic damages, such as lost wages and medical bills, are frequently easy to calculate, but non-economic losses, such as pain and suffering, are more subjective and may give you more negotiating ground.
There are two other factors that we will explore
There are two other things we’ll consider as we evaluate the insurance offer to see if it’s reasonable. First, we’ll look at the coverage limits of the policy that will be paid out. It may be worthwhile to accept the maximum offer from the insurance company. In some cases, we may wish to pursue the at-fault party directly in order to obtain more than the maximum coverage.
Second, we’ll assess the strength of your case. The basic line is that we support you, but a jury will not necessarily support you. We will assess the strength of the evidence as well as the circumstances of your case. We strongly advise you to contact The Law Offices of Larry H. Parker for a free legal consultation to learn more about your choices.
