Adjusters and their new (old) tactic

Amazing new tactic from the insurance industry. Okay, it is not new, but it was dead for a while. So, amazing revival tactic from the insurance industry: talking you out of an attorney. Here is how it works.

You are in a collision. The insurance company calls you and you say "I am going to hire an attorney." In some cases, you have retained an attorney and the adjuster tells you he/she is not aware of that fact. What happens?

The insurance adjuster will explain to you why you don't need an attorney. The adjuster tells you that the claim settles faster without an attorney, sometimes in weeks, not months. The adjuster then tells you how the attorney is just taking money out of your pocket because the settlement does not increase with an attorney. And the adjuster starts to tell you how evil plaintiff's attorneys are.

Well, the adjuster is wrong, wrong and wrong.

Cases do not settle faster without an attorney. In fact, some insurance companies are known to delay a claim until the statute of limitations expires, or is about to expire, before even making an offer. Once the statute of limitations expires, your claim expires too! Furthermore, a claim cannot resolve until you are recovered. The adjuster's desire to pay you before you recover from your injuries should be a sign that the adjuster is out to screw you.

Settlements do increase with an attorney. You do not know what your case is worth. The adjuster, in theory, does. The adjuster will never offer you full value and will have one hundred excuses why your case is not worth what you think it is or why the adjuster is right. It takes experience to figure out what a case is worth.

Trial lawyers are not evil. In fact, we level the playing field. We make sure someone is looking out for your best interest. It sure is not the insurance company doing that.

Be careful when you see this tactic. It should warn you that the adjuster is being less than honest and is trying to hide something. At the very least, you should get a free consultation before you talk to the adjuster.