The Do's and Don'ts of Talking to an Insurance Adjuster?
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| insurance adjuster |
Should I Talk To An Insurance Adjuster About The Crash?
An insurance adjuster (also called a ‘claims adjuster’ or ‘claims specialist’) investigates insurance-related injury claims and determines your entitlement to damages. If you’ve been involved in a motor vehicle accident with another vehicle, at least two insurance companies will be involved: yours and the insurance company for the other vehicle. You need to report the accident to your insurance company within seven days, regardless of who’s at fault.
Your claims adjuster will determine the extent to which your claim is covered by your insurance policy. As part of the terms of that policy, you’re obligated to answer questions about the accident, make your damaged vehicle available for inspection and provide relevant documentation related to the accident and your claim.
The insurance adjuster of the other driver, however, will want to eliminate or reduce their client’s liability for causing the car accident because doing so will minimize their payment of any claims. Any information an unsuspecting accident victim provides – no matter how truthful – could be misinterpreted or used to minimize the claim.
Your best strategy is to retain an experienced personal injury lawyer who will ensure only relevant information is given and your interests protected. If contacted by the other driver’s insurance company, don’t volunteer any information. Contact Kelly Greenway Bruce today.
Will I need to pay a retainer in my personal injury claim?
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| personal injury claim |
No, you will not be required to pay any retainer in your personal injury claim. On your first visit to our office, we will carefully review with you the circumstances surrounding your accident, the steps required to proceed with your claim and all costs so that you have a full understanding of the entire process.
In the course of advancing your claim, we will obtain all relevant medical information confirming your injury, including medical reports, hospital records, treatment records, etc. this can be a costly process; however we will not ask you to pay any of these costs over the course of your claim. When the claim is resolved, we are usually fully reimbursed by the insurance company for most of these amounts.
In addition to the money we pay on your behalf, we do not require a retainer or bill for you at any point in time until the case is completed. Lawyers ’fees related to personal injury matters are generally paid in accordance with the emergency agreement that will be clarified at the outset. When the case is settled and settlement funds have been received, a percentage of the settlement funds will be paid out. In the event that compensation for your accident is not refunded, we will not charge any fees for the time spent on your file.