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Insurance Negotiations

10 Tips for Dealing with Insurance Adjusters

If you are having trouble with an insurance adjuster, the attorneys of Heselmeyer Zinda, PLLC are ready to provide you with a free case evaluation when you contact us toll-free at 800-863-5312 or via our online contact form. We will protect your rights and fight for you anywhere in Central Texas, including the cities of greater Round Rock, Georgetown, Cedar Park, Hutto, and Austin areas.

The aftermath of an accident can be extremely frustrating and dealing with insurance companies is often a main cause of that frustration. Insurance adjusters work for insurance companies that are in business to maximize profits. That means that they want to offer accident victims the least amount of money possible to settle insurance claims. If you are having trouble dealing with insurance adjusters then we invite you to review some of our tips for working with adjusters:

  1. Take Your Time: Insurance adjusters will often try to pressure you to make a hasty decision about a settlement offer. They know that medical bills and car repair costs add up quickly and that you may be strapped for cash. Do not let them use this negotiating tactic on you. Your bills are unlikely to come due all at once and repayment plans can often be negotiated.
  2. Know What Your Claim is Worth: Do your own research so that you understand the fair market value of your car and the likely cost of your current and future medical needs. Obtain documentation to support your position.
  3. Present Documentation: Make sure that the adjuster knows that you’ve done your homework. Do not accept the adjuster’s word as to how much your car is worth or how high your medical bills are likely to be. Instead, provide the adjuster with documentation that supports the values that you believe to be accurate.
  4. Ask for the Adjuster’s Reasoning and Supporting Documentation: Chances are good that the adjuster will offer you a different settlement offer than you think you deserve. Ask the adjuster to defend his or her position by explaining how he or she came up with that number and requesting supporting documentation, when applicable.
  5. Understand Your Insurance Policy: Review your insurance policy and do not take your insurance adjuster’s word on how that policy should be interpreted. If your adjuster tells you that something is not covered by your policy, ask the adjuster to tell you where the exclusion is in the policy. Likewise, if you believe that something should be included in your settlement, use your policy as support for your claim.
  6. Don’t Offer More Information Than Necessary: It is not useful to let the adjuster know that your brother owns a car repair shop or that your sister-in-law is your physician. You do not want your adjuster to assume that you will be getting a financial break on car repair or medical services and therefore adjust your settlement offer downward.
  7. Be Polite, but Firm: Quite simply, you want your adjuster to respect you. If you are argumentative or nasty, the adjuster is unlikely to want to provide you with a higher settlement offer. Similarly, if the adjuster sees you as weak or uneducated, the adjuster may make a lower settlement offer. Therefore, it is important to be polite and firm in your discussions with your adjuster.
  8. Know How to Contact Your Adjuster and the Adjuster’s Supervisor: Adjusters are often busy in the field and hard to reach. They also often call at inconvenient times. It is important to talk to the adjuster, or the adjuster’s supervisor, when you have the time to devote your undivided attention to the conversation. Therefore, you should know how to reach both of them.
  9. Make Sure all Agreements are in Writing: You may agree to a settlement on part of your claim (for example the value of your car) before you settle the rest of your claim. If you do agree to a settlement on any part of the claim, it is important to get that in writing.
  10. Hire an Attorney: It is often difficult, frustrating and unproductive to deal with an insurance adjuster. The attorneys of Heselmeyer Zinda, PLLC are experienced in dealing with insurance adjusters and can take on this task for you while you concentrate on your physical recovery and getting your life back together.

We hope that these tips make things easier and less frustrating for you. If you need additional help dealing with adjusters, we invite you to contact our Austin office at 512-246-2224, our Dallas office at 214-390-6249, or toll-free at 1-800-863-5212. You can also contact us online. Our experienced attorneys have helped clients throughout Central Texas, including the greater Round Rock, TX, Georgetown, TX, Cedar Park, TX, Hutto, TX and Austin, TX areas.

At Heselmeyer Zinda, our primary mission is to help people. We care about helping you through this difficult time and we look forward to talking with you. What sets Heselmeyer Zinda, PLLC apart from other law firms is our dedication to our clients. When you choose Heselmeyer Zinda, PLLC to handle your injury claim, you will deal directly with your attorney -- regardless of the size of your case. We believe client service is key, and we treat every case equally. Remember: You will have no attorney fees, court costs, or litigation expenses unless you recover damages.