It’s amazing how popular you become when you get hurt. The good news is that friends and family come around to wish you well. The bad news: the insurance adjuster for the responsible party starts calling too. He might call every day, asking how you feel and generally buttering you up. Be careful.
The insurance adjuster may be friendly, but he is not your friend. He isn’t worried about you or your health. His job is to settle your claim as cheaply as possible. After all, insurance is a pretty simple business – the less money they pay out, the more money they keep for themselves.
Insurance adjusters are masters at the art of making you believe your claim is nearly worthless. They will use everything you say to help try to convince you of this as well. As a general rule, the less you say, the better. Don’t give details about your medical treatment. Don’t give the adjuster information about your finances – especially if you could really use some money. Above all, don’t sign anything or agree to give a recorded statement until you have armed yourself with information.
Another thing – the adjuster will tell you that you don’t need a lawyer. Don’t believe it. Studies have shown time and time again that people who retain lawyers get better settlements. I have settled cases for ten times what the adjuster offered my client before I became involved. That doesn’t happen every time, and it is not a guarantee, but it illustrates the point – if you have been injured, you do need a lawyer.
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