If you’ve been injured in a car accident that was caused by another driver’s negligence, pursuing the compensation to which you’re entitled by filing a car accident claim with the at-fault driver’s provider is paramount. It’s important to know, however, that while the insurance company is paid to cover your claim, they will do what they can to keep your settlement as low as possible. And one tool at their disposal is asking the kinds of questions that are most likely to elicit claim-damaging responses from claimants like you.
In other words, it’s important to proceed with caution when the insurance adjuster is looking for answers, and an experienced car accident lawyer can help.
The Insurance Adjuster Is Not on Your Side
The most important point to keep in mind as you move forward with your car accident claim is that the insurance adjuster is not on your side. Regardless of how kind and caring they may sound, they work for the insurance company, and the insurance company’s objective is settling your claim for less. You can expect the adjuster who is interviewing you to ask well-considered questions that are designed to trip you up.
A much better policy than handling the insurance adjuster questions on your own is allowing your car accident attorney to answer the questions on your behalf. Ultimately, you’re not required to provide the insurance company with a statement, and leaving the questions asked of you in the capable hands of your car accident lawyer is an excellent means of protecting your rights and your rightful compensation.
Common Insurance Adjuster Questions
There are several questions that insurance adjusters turn to time and time again – based on how effective they are at lowering settlement amounts.
Can you explain how the car accident happened?
This is a vague, open-ended question that sounds innocent enough, but it’s actually designed to get you talking. The more you say, the more likely you are to damage your own claim. Even doing something as innocent as expressing how sorry you are can be translated to mean that you’re admitting guilt in the matter – when all you meant is that you’re sorry the accident happened.
If you will be answering the adjuster’s questions, the best course of action is sticking to the facts. Relying on your memory on this count can also get you into trouble – a better approach is jotting down the basics and referring to your notes as you respond.
What were you doing when the car accident happened?
This question is specifically designed to coax you into sharing that you were distracted by something other than navigating the road safely at the time of the accident. When you get to this question, let the adjuster know – in as few words as possible – that you were proceeding safely forward or were stopped at a stoplight or stop sign, whatever the case may be. Now is not the time to elaborate. Instead, simply stick to the facts.
Is there anything that you could have done to avoid the accident?
This one is a trick question. The insurance adjuster who is doing the asking is well aware that we tend to blame ourselves in the aftermath of car accidents – even when they are far outside the realm of our control.
For example, if a drunk driver speeds through a red light only to crash into you while you’re moving safely through the intersection, you may think, if only . . . This generally means if only I’d been driving a bit faster or a bit slower, I wouldn’t have been in that spot at that moment, but it’s your mind playing tricks on you. You had no way of knowing what the other driver would do, and you had no way of altering the natural progression of their actions.
When asked if you could have done anything differently, the correct answer is no, which is both short and to the point.
How are you doing? Were you injured?
While these are questions you likely expect to hear, you may be surprised by the motivation behind them. The insurance adjuster is attempting to lock you into a statement that diminishes the injuries you’ve suffered, or that denies them altogether. The fact is that many of us have a tendency to downplay how seriously we’ve been harmed, and insurance adjusters aren’t above using this to their own advantage.
The bottom line is that you aren’t likely to know the full extent of your physical, financial, and emotional losses until some time has passed. And glossing over this question early on can seriously damage your claim.
Leave the Questions to Your Experienced Car Accident Lawyer
The persuasive car accident attorneys at Moore Law Firm are very well prepared to handle the insurance claims adjuster on your behalf, and we welcome the opportunity to do so. Learn more by contacting us online or calling (504) 840-5529 and scheduling a free consultation today.