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Adjuster Tricks — You Don’t Need an Attorney

Adjuster Tricks — You Don’t Need an Attorney

Published on // Written by McCarthy, Rowden & Baker

Springfield Personal Injury Attorney Discusses the Disadvantages of Representing Yourself in a Personal Injury Case

Insurance adjusters prefer when claimants represent themselves rather than hiring a Springfield personal injury attorney. Most claimants don’t understand the full extent of their rights or the tactics that are often used by adjusters to reduce the value of a claim. When you don’t have a knowledgeable lawyer assisting you with the personal injury claim, you are susceptible to accepting an unreasonably low settlement offer.

Common Reasons Why Adjusters Don’t Want to Work with Personal Injury Attorneys

Claimants who represent themselves usually don’t possess the same experience and legal skills as a personal injury attorney. As a result, there’s a higher probability that the claimant won’t be adequately compensated for his financial losses and the adjuster will be able to close the claim in a relatively short amount of time. Some of the reasons why an adjuster may encourage you not to seek legal counsel are:

  • Attorneys understand the laws and procedures related to personal injury claims.
  • Attorneys are aware of the tactics used by adjusters to reduce the value of claims.
  • Attorneys can provide the evidence and documentation needed to substantiate the claimant’s injuries and other financial losses.
  • Attorneys know how to accurately calculate the value of a claim.
  • Attorneys have strong negotiation skills that can help the claimant obtain a more favorable outcome.
  • The attorney is able to file a lawsuit if a settlement isn’t reached.

Many adjusters attempt to contact the claimant within 24 hours of being assigned the claim. This enables the adjuster to speak with you about the accident before you may have had a chance to consult an attorney. Once the adjuster has spoken with you, he could try to convince you that seeking guidance from an attorney is unnecessary and could hinder the processing of your claim.

Criteria Used by Insurance Companies to Evaluate Performance of Adjusters

An adjuster’s performance is judged by how much money was spent on the claims they handled and the amount of time it took them to close their files. If the adjusters aren’t able to resolve the cases in a reasonable amount of time, the caseload may increase to the point where additional staff needs to be retained in order to manage the workload. When adjusters are able to handle cases quickly and settle them for less money than their actual value, it positively affects the revenues of the insurance company.

Contact a Springfield Personal Injury Attorney

The Law Offices of McCarthy, Rowden & Baker fight aggressively to protect the rights of their clients so that they can receive the compensation they deserve. If you or a loved one has been injured due to the negligent acts of another party, call us at (800) 373-6050 to schedule a confidential consultation.