How An Insurance Adjuster Determines How Much To Offer For Your Car Accident

After you go through a car collision that someone else caused, you should expect the case to be given to an insurance adjuster the other person's insurance company hires. The main role the adjuster plays is settling the accident for the insurance company. The adjuster aims to do this by settling for the lowest amount possible, which is why you should hire a car accident lawyer for help. When the adjuster receives your case, here are several things to know about how the adjuster will calculate how much to initially offer you for this case.

The injuries

The main thing an adjuster will evaluate is the injuries you encountered from the collision. The adjuster will ask for medical bills and reports to verify that what you are saying is actually true. If you claim to be injured but have no medical bills to prove it, the adjuster is probably not going to offer you money for injuries simply because you have no proof that you have any. As the adjuster looks at the bills and reports, he or she is likely not only to offer enough money to cover these but also to cover additional bills you might encounter in the future. When you have a lawyer on your side helping you, he or she will fight for more compensation for injuries, especially if you have long-term or permanent injuries from the crash.

The other damages

Secondly, the adjuster may ask you questions about other damages you encountered from this event. For example, is your car now totaled as a result of the collision? If so, you should receive compensation to cover this. If you have emotional trauma as a result of the accident, the adjuster might offer monetary compensation for this too. Your lawyer can help you find ways to prove that you are suffering emotionally from the accident. Without a lawyer, you might forfeit compensation for this.

Timing

The other thing to realize is that timing will affect the amount the adjuster offers. Shortly after the accident takes place, you should expect the adjuster to call you with an offer. This initial offer is usually the lowest offer, as the adjuster will expect you to try to negotiate with him or her about it. If you wait to settle, you will typically receive more compensation than you would if you had settled right away. This is important to understand if you are in the midst of a car accident settlement.

If you receive an offer from the insurance adjuster that you are not satisfied with, you can counter the offer, or you could hire a personal injury lawyer to handle the matter for you. Hiring a lawyer is the best option because car accident lawyers know the ins and outs of settling car accident cases. Contact a personal injury attorney, today.


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