unlawful employment termination - what's your next step?

4 Tips for Talking to an Adjustor After a Car Accident

10 October 2016

Arthur Young

If you have been in a car accident with another driver, their insurance adjuster is going to call you in order to gather information that they need to determine how much damage has been done. Since you cannot avoid this phone call, you want to be sure that you are strategic in how you handle it. Here are four tips to help the call run smoothly on your end.

1. ​Stay Calm: The first important step is to remember to stay calm. You shouldn't automatically start yelling about the problems that the other driver has caused you. This can make it difficult to get through the call and can make the insurance adjuster fight harder to get you to say things that can be held against you in court if your case makes it that far. 
2. Ask for the Adjuster's Information: Before you begin answering questions, you want to be sure that you ask for the adjuster's information. This means asking for their direct contact number and the name of the company for which they work. This is important because it ensures that you are speaking to the proper person, first of all, and it ensures that your own attorney is able to contact that same individual in case specific questions arise in the future. 
3. Know Your Rights: Before you get into the phone call, you should know your rights, which is knowing what information you can withhold from them. For example, the adjuster does not need to know your social security number, your income, or the number of hours that you work. When you withhold this information, it ensures that the adjuster has less to work with to prove why less compensation is deserved on your end. 
4. Don't Give Details: Most likely, the insurance adjuster will ask for you to make statements about the accident, as well as about your injuries. It's important not to give details about this and instead insist that these details be given in a compensation demand letter. The reason for this is that you are highly likely to provide the wrong details under the stress of the phone call. It's better to go over the details with your attorney and write them out in a well-formed letter. This way, nothing can be held against you.

​When you utilize these tips, you are much more likely to be successful during that first call, since you are less likely to provide any information that can be held against you later on. Contact a law firm such as True Guarnieri Ayer LLP for more information.

Share

Search