4 Things to Avoid Saying to Insurance Adjusters after a Car Accident
By Christopher Hoffmann
Jan. 21, 2020 4:16p
One of the difficulties of being the victim of a car accident is dealing with the legal aftermath. When your medical and car service bills are piling up, you want a good outcome for your settlement claim. Unfortunately, the insurance company will try it's best to make the total amount that you’re getting as small as possible, and they have trained employees who will handle this, besides knowledgeable and aggressive attorneys.
An insurance adjuster is a person employed by the insurance company to find out how much they will have to pay for your damage. They collect evidence and interpret information that could lead to anything related to the driver’s liability, the extent of your damage and the legal circumstances of the case. An insurance adjuster is a professional, this is what they do for a living.
You will get in contact with the insurance adjuster in the discovery phase of your claim, which is the time needed to collect all necessary evidence and testimony to draw a conclusion.
Here are the 4 things you shouldn’t say to an insurance adjuster after being in a car accident:
“I’m Sorry, It Was My Fault”
This, or any wording admitting fault, should not be said in front of an insurance adjuster, as they will use it against you. Liability is a big part of a settlement claim, and your goal is to prove that the other driver is responsible for the accident. Being apologetic, even if it’s done only out of courtesy, can be seen as an admission of fault.
“I Think, I Believe, I Assume That…”
The information you give to an insurance adjuster must be based on facts. Speculating about the accident will not help you, but will make your statement less believable.
Talking about the State of Your Injuries
You should only provide information about your injuries through written medical documents or expert testimonies. If an insurance adjuster asks about your injuries, you can decline politely to answer their questions, as they could influence your settlement by minimizing your damage, while you are not aware of the full extent of it.
“He Came out of Nowhere” or “Next Thing You Know…”
These are examples of statements that colloquially would be passed as natural and normal, but end up being interpreted as an admission of fault in a car accident settlement. Narrating your accident as you would do to a friend is not advisable, as it might mean adding some style elements that are easily interpretable. Try to speak as formally as possible when talking to the claim adjuster.
While we are by no means denying an insurance adjuster’s professionalism and integrity, the truth of the matter is that they are working for the insurance company and will seek to obtain the best outcome for it. If you are nervous about talking to them, ask your St. Louis auto accident lawyer for advice or even to accompany you during the talk.