What Should I Watch Out For When It Comes To The Claims Adjuster?
Initially claims adjusters are trying to get a small settlement before party is represented by an attorney. These will generally be very low ball offers and injured client will not know the value of the case without an opinion from an attorney like myself. Even if the client does not reach a settlement with the insurance adjuster, they may be coerced into giving a statement to the adjuster or their investigator regarding the accident. This may have a detrimental effect on the case later on.
What Is Safe To Say And What Should I Never Say Or Do When In Contact With An Insurance Company’s Claims Adjuster?
I would advise an injured client not to make any statements to any investigators or insurance adjusters without the advice of an attorney.
Does The Claims Adjuster Have To Tell Me My Rights Under The Law Before We Speak?
This would not be a statement given in a criminal case but a civil matter and an insurance claims adjuster is not a police officer or criminal investigator of some sort so they would generally not have to give you the same rights as you would have any criminal case.
Does The Claims Adjuster Have Access To My Medical Provider And My Medical Records?
Your medical records are generally protected under the HIPAA law and adjusters can only view your medical records if you give them proper authorization to do so.
Is It Safe To Tell My Doctor Everything Concerning My Health And Injuries?
This would depend on the individual case. But if it is necessary for proper medical treatment, I generally tell clients to feel free to discuss the accident with their doctors and medical providers in detail. What a client needs to know is that whatever they tell the medical provider could wind up in their medical records. This may include how the accident occurred what the client was doing at the time of the accident etc. which may have an effect on the liability aspect of the case later on
Does The Insurance Company Have The Right To Use Private Investigators To Follow Me? What Is The Purpose Of Doing That?
Private investigators generally have the ability to serval clients in public. This may come into play on a particular case if a client claims that they sustained a permanent disabling injury. Now if that same client is out playing sports or doing physical activity that shows that they did not sustain this type of injury well that could have an impact on the case.
What Are The Most Common Reasons Insurance Companies Use To Deny Claims?
An insurance company may deny a claim claiming there is no liability on the defendant that resulted in the accident or that the injuries sustained were minimal or that the injury sustained were not related to the accident. These defenses all depend on individual cases. If a claim is denied by an insurance company at the claims stage, I generally move the case into litigation.
Tell The Readers About Your Experiences In Dealing With Insurance Companies And Adjustors Who Use These Tactics. How Do You, As My Attorney, Combat These Tactics?
Once I am retained in a personal injury case, I put the insurance company on notice of my representation. From that point on the insurance company and the representatives are not able to contact or speak with my client.
Why Do I Need To Hire You To Represent Me Versus Trying To Combat These Tactics And Just Going It Alone?
An injured party with generally not know the value of the case in terms of the liability arguments and the monetary value of the injury that was sustained. Generally people who don’t have attorneys in these types of cases settle for much less than what the case is actually worth.
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