After a car accident, you will almost certainly need to speak to an insurance adjuster to discuss how your auto insurance coverage affects compensation for your medical bills, damaged property, and other losses. However, attempting to deal with an insurance adjuster yourself can have significant negative impacts on your claim. Here’s why.
- The adjuster doesn’t work for you.
Insurance adjusters can often seem sympathetic and helpful, and many may be actually concerned about you personally. However, an insurance adjuster’s professional obligation is to obtain the best deal for the insurance company. This means that the adjuster will attempt to settle your claim for the lowest amount possible—even if that’s not enough to repay your financial losses.
- Anything you say to the adjuster can be used to deny your claim.
Even the most neutral, small-talk-sounding statements to your insurance adjuster can be turned around and used as evidence that you don’t need some or all of your settlement. They can make you sound as if you said you were at fault or that you aren’t hurt, even when neither of those statements are true. Your lawyer can help you avoid compromising situations and establish the facts of your claim.
- You have enough on your plate.
You may be working every day to heal from serious injuries. You may be attending a slew of doctor’s appointments or working hard at physical therapy. You may be scrambling to figure out how to get yourself and your family to appointments, school, work, and errands. You may wonder how you’re going to afford to replace your vehicle.
If you’ve been in an auto accident, handling your injuries and your family’s needs after the crash is more than enough work. Don’t try to handle the insurance companies as well. Instead, work with an experienced New Jersey car accident attorney who will handle insurance company negotiations for you, so that you can focus on what matters most.
The articles on this blog are for informative purposes only and are no substitute for legal advice or an attorney/client relationship. If you are seeking legal advice, please contact our law firm directly.