It’s a fact that a claims adjuster works for the insurance company. That means they don’t work for you! As a result, they’re tasked with investigating claims made to the insurance company. Simply put: You want them to pay the full policy amount for damage to your vehicle or property. However, they’d rather pay as little as they can or possibly even deny your claim.
Yes, the claims adjuster will conduct his or her due diligence, which will entail fact-finding and determine what amount the insurance company will pay you for the damages. They’ll speak with you, interview any witnesses, review any police report, examine the damage, and photograph the accident scene and the damage to the vehicle and property. This all sounds very thorough, but again, they are looking to minimize the claim payouts and maximize their profits. A claims adjuster is evaluated by how well they manage to deny or limit claims.
With that in mind, here are some of the tricks of the trade that a claims adjuster might pull on you after an accident:
- Denying Liability Right Out of the Gate. A claims adjuster could say that their policyholder isn’t liable for the accident without doing a complete investigation; this can result in an unjust outcome for the injured.
- Offering a Quick, Lowball Settlement. A claims adjuster may suggest a quick settlement to resolve the claim. But while putting money in your hand right away, you may not know the full extent of your personal injury and corresponding damages. Frequently, claims adjuster’s initial offer is much lower than what you’re owed. You should be certain that all your damages are completely documented by your healthcare provider—both the immediate and long-term effects—prior to accepting a settlement.
- Bating. An adjuster might “bait” you into saying something that could be interpreted as an admission of fault or increasing your own negligence. The adjuster won’t tell you that their insured caused the accident. Instead, they’ll ask you a bunch of questions. Your answers might be seen as an admission of your fault.
- Downplaying Your Injuries. Auto insurance adjusters may state that certain treatments are excessive or unrelated to the accident in an effort to reduce the value of your claim. They also might say that your injuries are from pre-existing conditions rather than the accident itself.
- Asking for a Medical Authorization. Here’s a tactic insurance adjusters use: asking you to sign a medical authorization form that allows the insurance company to have access to your complete medical history—not just the records related to the accident. They’re looking for pre-existing conditions that they’ll argue caused your injuries not the accident itself. They want to diminish the severity of your claim by saying that your health issues existed before the incident.
- Misrepresenting Insurance Coverage. They might try to explain the parameters of your policy coverage and tell you that your policy provides less protection than what’s true. They also might say “it’s not our policy” when you ask them to do something. Note that the insurance company’s policy doesn’t override the legal requirements in Michigan. State law and your policy terms are what control.
- Misrepresenting Laws About Damages. The Michigan laws of personal injury are pretty well defined, but most folks don’t know or understand these laws. A claims adjuster might mislead you about what’s allowable damages.
- Discouraging Attorney Consultation. A claims adjuster may tell you that you don’t need an attorney. They’ll try to convince you that they’re your friend and that you can trust them because they have your best interests in mind. Not true! They’ll say that attorneys are very expensive or will demand most of your settlement from the insurance company.
