Personal Injury Lawsuit

A San Juan Capistrano, California Personal Injury Lawyer’s Advice:

Just as you wouldn’t walk into a car dealership without knowing what car you want, don’t speak to an insurance company without first doing your homework.

Insurance claim adjusters have only one job. That is to pay out as little to you as possible. This means employing every means they have to pay you the least amount. Don’t underestimate your local claims adjusters. A lot of insurance companies will hire ex lawyers who are familiar with the personal injury laws to build a case against you.

The first method used is the “Charm and Disarm” method. Once the insurance adjuster has gained your trust and gotten your guard down, he/she will use what you have said out of context and to build a case against you. The best way to avoid this is to stay on task and only state the facts. Also, don’t allow yourself to be recorded. There is no “off the record” here, so assume everything you say will be used against you.

Next, the insurance company representative may make you verbal promises they have no intention of keeping. These people are not your friends and do not work for you, so why would they do you any favors?

They won’t.

Just remember the old adage, “if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.”

Insurance companies have entire departments devoted to insurance claims with an unlimited amount of resources to debunk your case or build one against you. Remember, these companies are out to make money and it is a lot cheaper to pay an assistant $12 an hour to dig up dirt on you than it is to cut you a check for the thousands you deserve.

Finally, do not negotiate on your own. Leave it to a personal injury lawyer to speak to the insurance company for you. They know what questions should be avoided and which are “fishing questions” designed to devalue your claim. For example, if an insurance claims adjuster calls and asks how you are, your customary response “not bad, how are you?,” could be used against you as a statement of your condition. There are a number of ways you can inadvertently harm your case. Using an experienced personal injury lawyer on your behalf, there is no way the insurance company can twist your words.