If you've been injured in a car accident, you would really like to think that you're in "good hands" and that you'll be treated like a "good neighbor." You wouldn't believe the number of times we've had clients tell us that they just assumed their insurance adjuster would be fair with them when they filed a personal injury claim.
So many of our clients assume that the personal injury insurance adjuster will take the time to carefully read and review their medical records, listen to their complaints, and then use their best personal judgment to make a fair settlement offer on their personal injury claim. The hard truth is this: Most personal injury adjusters don't have the time or the interest to determine what's "fair," and they rely on a computer as a substitute for human judgment.
Car Insurance Adjuster Secrets You Need to Know
With a caseload of 200-300 accident claims at any given time, there is no way a typical insurance claims adjuster has the time to carefully review your medical records and give careful consideration to your personal injury claim. One of the most alarming little-known secrets of personal injury claims processing is this - insurance companies use a computer to evaluate your claim, not a human adjuster.
Most insurance companies use claim evaluation software to analyze personal injury claims, generate strengths and weaknesses, and "spit out" a settlement range. Rarely, if ever, will you be able to settle a claim over the computer's suggested range.
What Insurance Adjusters Won't Tell You...
Rather than taking the time to thoroughly review your claim and supporting documents, personal injury insurance adjusters quickly review your medical records (the ones that they have, anyway) and input the information into their computer program. The software scores your injury claim points and throws out red flags based on the information provided. Then the program generates a settlement payment amount that it believes is a "fair" settlement for your case. Well, at least the amount is fair, according to the insurance company and its computer system.
Human judgment or empathy is far less important than what the computer says in these claims processes. Since most adjusters have a caseload of several hundred claims at a time, what do you think the odds are that the personal injury claims adjuster is going to fully and accurately input ALL the information necessary for the best possible evaluation of your claim? Believe us, the odds are slim or none.
How Can You Minimize Insurance Claim Adjuster's Secret Tactics?
Knowing how some claims adjusters will treat your insurance claim, what does this mean if you have been injured in a car accident or have another type of personal injury claim? How can you overcome the claim adjuster's dependence on a computer program and lazy review of your unique circumstances?
First and foremost, you have to remember that promptly treating with an appropriate medical provider and fully documenting your injuries is one of the most important keys to receiving maximum financial compensation. Of course, the first goal of prompt medical care is to treat your injuries and help your physical recovery. However, taking this step right away can also improve your legal chances of a successful injury claim or personal injury lawsuit.
If you put off going to the emergency room or seeking medical care after an accident injury, you are seriously undermining your case. If you don't receive initial medical treatment within three days after your accident, the computer software may treat your claim as "suspect." This is one of the most common red flags the claim processing program generates, and your claim will be referred to the insurance company's "Special Investigation Unit" to see if fraud is involved!
When you treat with a doctor, it is important to document ALL of your injuries and make sure to let your care provider know how those injuries affect you in your day-to-day life. For example, don't just say, "My back hurts." Instead, more fully explain, "My back has been hurting me since the accident, and that makes it difficult for me to sit comfortably at my desk at work. It has also been impossible for me to cook for my family. I've always taken care of the vacuuming at the house, and I just can't do that right now because of my back pain."
IMPORTANT: When you promptly seek treatment, and every doctor or therapy visit thereafter, be sure the medical providers are documenting all of your injuries and the effects of those injuries in your medical records. The more details you can share with your personal injury attorney, the better insurance claim they can present on your behalf.
Avoid Additional Car Insurance Claim Adjuster Secret Tactics by Partnering With a Skilled Personal Injury Attorney
Even after you have sought appropriate medical treatment and communicated all of your injuries, complaints, and the effects on your day-to-day living, you cannot rely on the adjuster to read, input, and ensure the computer program accurately factors in these elements when processing your claim. The best way to receive the very highest possible recovery for your personal injury claim is to hire a qualified and experienced personal injury lawyer.
How to Choose the Best Personal Injury Lawyer for Your Claim
Look for an attorney who is familiar with the law, the process, and how the claims adjusting software works. A good personal injury lawyer knows how to fully document and prepare your claim for maximum recovery from your very first conversation. Knowing how to read medical records, gather important evidence, and "feed" the computer what it wants to see is extremely important in the injury claims process.
It is not enough to have the facts and the medical documentation on your side - your best outcome will be achieved when you have an experienced lawyer who knows the system, and the software, representing you in your personal injury claim.
Trust Our More Than 20 Years of Experience Dealing With Car Insurance Adjuster Secrets
Trust Guss Injury Lawyers, is a Personal Injury law firm based in Houston, Texas. Our team of legal professionals has been fighting for injured victims for more than 20 years. Our skilled attorneys represent clients throughout Texas and around the nation with many types of personal injury claims. Call us now at 800-898-4877 or reach out online for a free, no-obligation consultation about your injury claim. Remember, there is no charge for this consultation, and our team of legal professionals will charge no fee unless we win your case.