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Many people who were injured in a truck wreck have asked the same question- can I trust the adjuster?
The adjuster is at first is frequently very friendly, and frankly, the more serious the injury or liability factors (such as getting hit by a drunk driver or commercial truck driver in a bad accident), the friendlier the adjuster usually will become.
The real truth is the insurance adjuster for the adverse party (the negligent driver) is your adversary, and if the adjuster pays you pennies on the dollar, he or she may receive bigger bonuses, or promotions for saving his or her employer, the insurance company money.
When you are dealing with an insurance adjuster, watch out for the tricks of their trade. Being friendly and nice is just part of the techniques adjusters have been trained to use. Watch how quickly things change when you start talking about money. The friendly, nice adjuster suddenly turns into a hard cold person when fair compensation is discussed.
Watch out for your statements, as what you say will definitely be held against you. I recommend that you do not give statements.
Some adjusters take the position they can not settle a claim without a statement- hogwash!
If you do choose to give a recorded statement don’t volunteer any information, tell the truth and don’t exaggerate your injuries, but don’t leave any injury out either.
If the accident was a serious one and you or a loved one has suffered a serious injury you should contact a truck wreck attorney before you talk with any adjusters. The more money at stake, the more aggressive in tactics is the insurance company. Many times in serious injury cases, the adjuster will “accept liability” and make or imply promises to take care of you. Do not fall for it.
The insurance company is trying to settle with you for as little as possible. If your case is serious, you can do a lot of damage to the case by trusting the adjuster, only seeking help from an attorney after the damage to your case has been done, and the adjusters true colors shown.
Fact of the matter is that 99% of the times the adjusters do not want you to get a lawyer. Because the adjuster at the insurance companies know that they will usually have to pay more money on a claim when the attorney is involved. The insurance company will not treat a person without an attorney the same way that they treat one who has retained a qualified and experienced lawyer.
There are certain circumstances where the adverse adjuster will actually advise the claimant to get a lawyer. This will be limited to situations where they feel that the claimant is overreaching and unrealistic, or there are other complications such as multiple liens that require handling prior to any settlement.
Other than the rare exception, the adverse adjuster does not want the injured person to get an attorney. Often they will make reference to “giving away part of your case” or other instances that are based on a false premise that they will pay the same amount and be fair in their offers.
As we have previously written, anyone handling their own personal injury claim with an adverse adjuster should ask the adjuster as soon as possible – how exactly are you going to value my pain-and-suffering from this accident?
The odds are very good that if you want full compensation you’re going to need an attorney. Most people with a serious injury realize that at some point in trying to handle their own claim.
Unfortunately, the downside is that important evidence can be gone and time sensitive things necessary for your case do not get done, which can hurt your case.
In short, with a serious injury 18-wheeler accident, initially attempting to handle the claim yourself can actually hurt your case and cost you money even after you hire an attorney to handle your case for you.
