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When speaking with a claims adjuster in Philadelphia, being prepared is important. Review the events of your car accident and be ready to answer questions. Do your best to stay calm during conversations, even if you are being pressed. To reinforce your account of an accident, you can provide an insurance adjuster with helpful photographs. Keep records of your communications, be careful not to accept fault for your accident, and be relatively suspicious of what an insurance adjuster says. If your claim is approved and you receive a settlement offer, know that there may be room for negotiations, especially if it is low.
Tips on Speaking to a Claims Adjuster in Philadelphia
Claims adjusters aren’t on your side, even if they are representatives from your own insurance company. If you misspeak during conversations with a claims adjuster in Philadelphia, they might find a reason to deny your claim, making a recovery even more difficult. When approaching conversations with an adjuster, work with a Philadelphia car accident lawyer to prepare, remember to say cordial, and don’t believe everything you hear.
Be Prepared
When you file a claim with an insurance company after a car accident in Philadelphia, you’ll likely receive a call from a claims adjuster. During this initial call, the adjuster will ask you to recount the events of your car accident. If you’re caught off guard, you might forget important details or wrongly remember certain aspects of the collision. In order to ensure your first conversations with a claims adjuster go well, prepare yourself by reviewing the important details of your accident, like the date, location, and time, as well as the damage done to your vehicle and any injuries you might have sustained. Be sure to adhere to any scheduled meetings or phone calls, as being late might adversely impact your claim in Philadelphia.
Be Cordial
When victims get overly emotional when speaking with a claims adjuster, they might unintentionally say something that can be used against them. It’s important to remember to stay calm and cordial, even if an adjuster is treating you poorly during conversations. Sometimes, insurance companies use strong language or an aggressive approach in an attempt to intimidate a claimant. Remember to stay calm and cordial during conversations, as that may work in your favor.
Provide Proof
Simply speaking to a claims adjuster may not be enough to have your claim approved. In all likelihood, a negligent driver might have given the adjuster a completely different story. Instead of it being one person’s word against another, you can strengthen your claim by providing additional evidence in your favor. For example, photos of an accident’s aftermath can indicate which vehicle struck another. If a negligent driver was turning over a double yellow line when they struck you, take a picture of the area as proof. Take pictures of any property damage you incurred and report any injuries you sustained.
Don’t Say Too Much
While giving a claims adjuster enough information about your car accident in Philadelphia is important, you don’t want to say too much. For example, while you may need to tell the claims adjuster that other passengers were in the car at the time of the accident, you don’t need to say that the radio was on. Giving too much information about an accident can cause you to slip up when asked in the future about the collision. A claims adjuster might ask you to recount your story multiple times, and if you leave out details you initially included, your claim might be denied.
Keep Records of Communications
Your conversations with a claims adjuster are important. Unfortunately, some insurance companies might act in bad faith and intentionally thwart communications to give themselves a reason to deny a claim. To keep track of communications, or attempts at communications, keep a log of phone calls or meetings with a claims adjuster. Keep any letters or other correspondence you receive regarding your claim as well. It may even benefit you to take notes during calls so that you can more easily remember important details.
Don’t Believe Everything You Hear
Having an attorney by your side when speaking with a claims adjuster is important; otherwise, you might be more likely to misspeak. An experienced lawyer can also identify when a claims adjuster is using certain tactics to attempt to make a claimant more comfortable and at ease in the hope of finding a reason to deny their claim. Although a claims adjuster might seem friendly enough, their job isn’t to find a reason to approve your claim. Instead, they want to find a reason to deny your claim or reduce the money paid to you.
Don’t Settle Right Away
If it’s clear that you’ve filed a valid claim and there’s no ethical way an insurance company can deny it, you might receive a settlement offer. Generally, this first settlement offer will be low and won’t accurately reflect the damages you deserve for your car accident. Because of this, it’s important that victims consider the benefits of negotiating a settlement instead of accepting the first offer they receive. Through negotiations, your attorney may be able to get you a larger settlement that is more appropriate, given your injuries and property damage in Philadelphia.
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