Most people buy auto insurance to help them in times of need, especially after an accident. These people assume that by having this insurance coverage, they will be able to recover all the expenses they suffered after an accident. however, that is not how insurance companies work.
The goal of the insurance company is to provide you with damage repair and coverage while offering you the least amount of money possible after an accident. This is because these insurance companies make money by offering you less money after an accident while you continue to receive insurance premiums. Consequently, insurance adjusters will try to do everything they can to make sure your payment stays low, including writing off the damage to your vehicle as unrelated to the accident or labeling the damage as old and not the result of the crash.
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However, this assessment is not always accurate and, unfortunately, can affect the amount of money you can receive from the insurance company. here’s why.
what does an insurance adjuster do?
Insurance adjusters are in charge of evaluating insurance claims. They are also responsible for evaluating damage to a vehicle to determine how much the insurance company should pay you for your losses.
Because of their experience and training, many insurance adjusters can determine what damage to your motor vehicle is old and what is new as a result of the accident. however, to reach these conclusions, these adjusters will use numerous tactics, including visually inspecting your car or requesting an estimate from a certified repair shop to learn more about the extent of your damage.
After they get this information, the adjuster will determine if you should receive money for the accident and how much this amount will be. they will also provide you with more details about your next steps.
what are these insurance adjusters looking for after a car accident?
Insurance companies do not want to pay you for damages that have previously existed on your motor vehicle. They will only pay for the damages that occur as a result of the accident in question. For these reasons, these companies train their insurance adjusters to identify fraud. This fraud generally refers to a claimant trying to claim previous damages on their current accident claim.
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Insurance fraud by other people is known to increase everyone’s insurance premiums. As a result, this fraud training can have its benefits. however, if you file an insurance claim, this training may decrease the money you receive, especially if the insurance adjuster refuses to include all of your current damage on your inspection report because they incorrectly suspect the damage to your vehicle is not new .
What documents do insurance adjusters use to assess your damages after a car crash?
To determine the extent of your damage and verify what damage to your car is new, insurance adjusters will often attempt to obtain accident reports, police notes, photos of the accident, and interviews with other drivers and witnesses to find out the circumstances. They will also use this evidence to determine fault for the crash, find out if you were in any way responsible for the collision, and conclude what damage occurred to your car from the accident.
what steps do insurance adjusters take to determine your damages after a car accident?
Before insurance adjusters show up to perform an inspection on your vehicle, they will likely check the car’s history to see if it has a history of accidents, has been totaled in the past, or has been sold for scrap . these adjusters are trained to find “title laundering” or renaming, especially since junk cars can be a good investment opportunity for many people.
Next, the insurance adjuster will usually perform a hands-on inspection of your vehicle. During this part of the investigation, the insurance adjuster will take a close look at all areas of your car where the damage occurred. however, they will also look for evidence of sanding, rust, and mismatched paint, as all of these details can indicate old repairs and damage.
These adjusters will also look for signs that the motor vehicle has an obscure history, including signs of weak electrical system or mismatched upholstery, often found in flood-damaged cars. Adjusters check for these signs because they want to catch those who may have accidentally purchased a flood damaged vehicle and are trying to pass on their losses to the insurance company by attempting to stage a fake collision and file a claim to get their money back. /p>
what should you tell the insurance adjuster after an accident?
As mentioned above, insurance adjusters are looking for everything they can to justify paying you less for your damage or denying your claim outright. For these reasons, when you are called by these insurance adjusters after an accident, you want to make sure you are careful what you say. During this initial phone call, you will want to avoid making definitive statements about the accident, admitting that the crash was your fault, or providing too many details about the collision. the insurance company can use these comments against you and ultimately hurt your case and decrease the money you receive.
That’s why to avoid this problem altogether, it’s often recommended that you don’t talk to an adjuster after your accident or provide them with a recorded statement, even when they claim you have to. instead, you should contact an experienced car accident attorney as soon as possible and tell these insurance companies that your attorney will be handling all future conversations. After these attorneys take over these discussions on your behalf, they can make sure you don’t say anything that could affect your case.
Should I accept a settlement offer from the insurance company?
After the insurance adjuster reviews your accident and reviews your damages, you may be offered a settlement. however, while it may seem like a no-brainer to accept this money, it’s not always in your best interest to do so. This is because these insurance companies will often try to offer you a meager settlement amount that barely covers any of your current costs, let alone your ongoing care. They generally provide you with this offer as quickly as possible after your accident in the hope that you will not check to see if this amount is fair or discuss the offer in accordance with an experienced car accident attorney.
However, once you accept the settlement, you cannot ask the insurance company for more money in the future. even if you discover that you have additional expenses that are a result of the original accident.
This is why before verbally accepting any settlement offer from the adjuster, you’ll want to request that the offer be put in writing and let them know that you will not accept any amount until your medical treatments are complete and you have spoken. with an attorney about the proposed offer.
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This can ensure that you better understand the scope of medical treatments you will need in the future and the costs that the settlement offer will need to cover. In addition, working with an experienced car accident attorney can help verify that the settlement amount offered by the insurer is fair to you. if not, these attorneys can go back to the negotiating table with the insurance company and fight for an amount that is.
Are there things you can do after an accident that can help you get the money you need from the insurance company?
Although the last thing you want to do after a car accident is worry about what steps to take after the crash, you should realize that these steps can not only help protect your health and safety, but also your legal rights as right. For these reasons, after a car accident, you should consider doing the following:
contact the police immediately
After an accident, it’s a good idea to immediately call 911. This is the fastest way to record your accident, notify the police of the accident, and alert emergency medical personnel that you or someone at the scene needs medical attention. assistance.
Once the police arrive, they can investigate the accident and note their findings in the police report. If you decide to file a legal claim after your accident, this report can give you valuable information about what happened and serve as helpful evidence if the insurance company tries to claim that certain damages were not the result of the accident.
gather evidence of the accident
If it’s safe for you to do so, you’ll also want to collect evidence from the accident scene. This evidence should include photos and videos of the vehicles involved, the damage to your car, traffic signs near the area, skid marks on the road, and any other evidence that can help prove what happened. this type of physical evidence can often serve as an objective reference to verify your version of what happened and show the extent of the damage you suffered.
Look for witnesses at the scene of the accident
right after an accident, you want to check if any witnesses saw what happened. Witnesses can often give you more information about the accident, and their statements can also substantiate your claim, helping to prove that the damage to your vehicle was the result of the accident and not prior damage, as the insurance company may argue. .
Get the financial recovery you deserve after an accident, contact an experienced car accident attorney today
You have enough after a car accident. The last thing you want to worry about is the insurance adjuster claiming that the damage to your car after an accident is not the result of the accident. Fortunately, when you work with an experienced car accident attorney, you won’t have to deal with these insurance adjusters on your own. These attorneys can take on deceptive insurance company practices, give you the legal help you need to address this claim, and fight for the financial damages you deserve.
To do this, these attorneys can:
- review your accident with you in detail, evaluate your claim, and determine if you have a viable case.
- determine what legal options you have and find out which ones you should pursue.
- Investigate the accident and obtain the necessary evidence to show not only what happened and who was at fault for the crash, but also that the damage to your car was a result of the accident.
- bring in experts, like accident reconstruction specialists, who can substantiate your claim.
- prepare and properly file motions and legal papers before time expires.
- Go up against these insurance adjusters and make sure you get the fair settlement offer you need.
- go to court if the other party is unwilling to negotiate fairly and fight for maximum compensation.
If you’re in a battle with the insurance company, don’t wait any longer to get the legal help you need. Instead, contact an experienced car accident attorney today for a free case evaluation and let these attorneys help you pursue the financial recovery you deserve.
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