Should I Speak to an Insurance Adjuster After an Accident Without a Lawyer?

There are few things more jarring than being involved in an accident of any kind. That said, after an accident, you can expect to be contacted by an insurance adjuster from the other party’s insurance company. These people may seem friendly, but the truth is, they’re not looking out for your best interests. Please continue reading and reach out to a dedicated Nueces County, Texas personal injury lawyer to learn more about what insurance adjusters do and why you should strongly consider hiring an attorney before dealing with them. Here are some of the questions you may have:

What does an insurance adjuster do?

Essentially, the job of an insurance adjuster is to ask individuals involved in accidents questions about their accident. They may seem friendly, or even concerned, about the injuries and trauma you’ve endured as a result of your accident, but the truth is, they are not on your side. Their job is actually to try and save their insurance company money by asking you questions that may seem innocent, but are really geared to getting you to admit some portion of fault or downplay your injuries.

Should I hire an attorney before speaking to one?

You should absolutely hire a lawyer before speaking to insurance adjusters, as your lawyer will have an in-depth knowledge of the tactics they use and can coach you through the entire conversation, ensuring you don’t slip up. Some tactics insurance adjusters use are as follows:

• Downplaying your injuries. They may ask questions like, “but you are okay, right?” and others of that nature, to see if you’ll say something like “I’m fine.” They may even outright try and downplay your injuries to get you to admit that you aren’t as hurt as you implied in your claim.
• Trying to get you to admit fault. Often, insurance adjusters will try to get those filing claims to admit some level of fault so they can either deny or substantially limit the compensation they give you.
• Offer lowball settlements. Insurance adjusters exist to save their company money. They will almost always offer you a lowball initial settlement. You do not have to accept this settlement. An attorney can advise you whether to take it or negotiate for a better settlement on your behalf.
• Giving you the silent treatment. Often, once a person denies the initial settlement, insurance companies will go silent. The statute of limitations for personal injury claims in Texas is, typically two years. When they disappear, they’re trying to run out the clock on your claim so you can no longer file one. Don’t fall for this. A good attorney will be persistent and hold them accountable.