How Can a Lawyer Help You Deal With Insurance Adjusters?

Having to deal with an insurance adjuster after an accident can be frustrating and leave you feeling vulnerable. The adjuster usually cares about the insurance company’s bottom line more than your needs, and they’re trained to ask questions in ways that will get you to say things they can use to deny or devalue your claim. Talk to an accident lawyer in New York right away so you have someone on your side to handle those conversations and protect what you deserve.

The Role of the Insurance Adjuster

Insurance adjusters work for the company that pays the claim, and their main job is to investigate what happened and settle the claim for as little as possible (ideally, nothing, if they can deny it altogether). They review police reports, talk to witnesses, check your medical records, and overall just look for ways to reduce their company’s liability.

You might think the adjuster wants to help you get fair payment, and they talk a good talk sometimes. But in reality, they answer to their employer, whose goal is to pay as little as possible. 

The Role of Your Accident Lawyer in New York

Having a lawyer levels the playing field. A lawyer who has been down this road before knows the patterns and what these companies are up to, and won’t let quick pressure tactics influence your decisions. 

Common Tactics Adjusters Use

“Can I Record You?”

Adjusters love to record calls, either asking quickly in passing or sometimes even without clear notice at all. They do this so they can ask questions that encourage you to say something that hurts your case. With the call recorded, they can then review it endlessly to evaluate whether there’s something they can use, and anything you say later can be compared against the call to see if “your story has changed.”

When you hire a lawyer, they take over all communication. You no longer have to worry about what to say or avoid saying, as your attorney will review every request and respond in writing. If the insurer calls, you just say, “Please speak with my lawyer, goodbye.”

“Did You Contribute?”

In New York, pure comparative negligence rules mean that you can recover damages even if you share some fault, but the amount you can recover decreases by your percentage of blame for the incident. Adjusters love to shift as much blame onto you as possible to cut the payout for their company. Your lawyer will push back with evidence and make sure you don’t get blamed a single percentage point more than you should.

“We’ve Calculated Your Losses At…”

The insurance company will often undervalue your losses, and the only way to counter this is with a good lawyer who knows how to properly calculate everything, including current and future medical costs, lost earnings, diminished earning capacity, and pain and suffering. Your attorney will gather documentation from doctors, economists, and life-care planners when needed and present a demand package that shows the true long-term impact of what you’ve suffered.

Dealing with adjusters alone puts you at a disadvantage. Level the playing field and contact us now at Miller, Montiel & Strano in Garden City, NY for help anywhere in Nassau County. 

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