The first thing that you need to know is the role of the adjuster in settling the claim. This is the person who’s going to handle your entire case and he is the one who is going to officially make the settlement proposals. With this in mind, there are quite a few things that you might want to take into account when dealing with him in order to go ahead and get the most out of your proposal.
The first thing that you need to determine is whether or not you will be able to strong arm him. On theory, you will be able to but you should do so only in certain situations, so let’s walk through it.
1. The initial stage
At first the insurance adjuster is going to begin by conducting a proper investigation of your case. He is going to ensure that he has all the necessary information before he proceeds to making an offer. This is a lengthy process which is going to take some time. Here, you should interfere only to help. Don’t go ahead and think about pushing him because that’s only going to backfire on you. There are tons of legislative opportunities which will allow the adjuster to delay your claim and you don’t want to take that chance.
2. Rejecting the proposal
Whenever you reject a low ball proposal on behalf of the insurance adjuster, you are going to need to have something to respond with – the best thing you can do is to get a motion for a personal injury lawsuit prepared and attached. Simply say that you don’t feel like the proposal is suitable and you intend on getting the matter resolved through the court. This is going to get you the much needed attention and he’s going to start proposing regular amounts.
The thing is that insurance adjusters don’t want you to go to the court. This puts them over a barrel because they don’t want to risk paying the full amount that is due on top of the lawyer fees, court taxes and the interest for the delayed payment. Even though you might lose the case, the insurance company isn’t going to be willing to invest in the case on the off chance of saving a small amount. That’s why it’s going to respond with a bigger offer. Now, you should also take into account the fact that a trial is going to be particularly lengthy. You will be in court for at least a couple of years, meaning that you are nowhere near seeing that compensation. That’s why you should also weigh the pros and cons and see if it’s not a good idea to compromise and get a lower settlement right on the spot.
Thus, it is best to hire a lawyer or legal firm that has been successful in negotiating huge amount of compensation. That shows that they have the skill and caliber to deal with insurance companies and still win for their clients.
