How Insurance Adjusters Handle an Insurance Claim

December 29, 2021 | By Frankl Kominsky Injury Lawyers
How Insurance Adjusters Handle an Insurance Claim Have you or someone you know recently been involved in a car accident or personal injury case? Once you begin to file your claim, you may be wondering what your next steps are and what the process entails.  Dealing with your insurance company can be a headache, especially when you are desperate to receive a settlement that will cover your medical expenses or time out of work.  If you are new to this process, we have information to help. Here is everything you should know about insurance adjusters, how they handle insurance claims, and how you could seek more out of your settlement. 

What Is an Insurance Adjuster And Their Role?

An insurance adjuster is the person who works for the insurance company that you have filed your claim with. They are responsible for investigating your claim and determining how much you should receive based on the evidence provided.  There are a variety of insurance adjusters that may be assigned to your case. For instance, your claim might be investigated by the insurance company’s own claims adjuster, or your case might be assigned to an independent contractor. The process is still the same, and the adjuster has the same duty, but their goals are different. The insurance adjuster working directly for an insurance company tries to save the company money by finding ways to reduce the claimant’s settlement, while independent adjusters do the opposite.  Independent adjusters operate somewhat similarly to attorneys. They want the claimant to seek the most as possible out of their settlement since they are paid a small fee from what the claimant receives back. Because of this, most people opt-in to hire an independent adjuster for trust.   The role of the insurance adjuster is to work thoroughly to expect damage to vehicles, review medical history, and interview claimants and witnesses. With the evidence the insurance adjuster collects, they put together a report for the claim examiner to review. The claim examiner is the professional responsible for determining the settlement and either authorizing the claim or denying it. 

How The Insurance Adjuster Settles a Claim

Here is a step-by-step guide in the process of the insurance adjuster investigating a claim to understand the process better:

Interviews

After you have filed the claim against the person you believe is responsible for the accident in a personal injury case, the adjuster will begin to interview the defendant to get their side of the story. They, of course, will interview you first and obtain any police record that was filed to review what authorities had to say regarding the accident.  During this time, you will also be investigated before to see if you have filed a personal injury before or if there is any harmful information to your reputation that could decrease your settlement.

Documentation

This is when the adjuster begins the investigation process by reviewing all necessary items or obtaining paperwork from medical personnel and law enforcement. If you were involved in a car accident, the adjuster will start to look through the damaged vehicle and take notes about the damage in relation to how much you should be offered.  It is also during the documentation process that the adjuster will start to determine how much to offer the claimant based on if the personal injury case were to make it to court. These factors include the odds that the claimant would win and what would the jury likely award them. 

Settlement Offer

Once the first offer is made to the claimant, it is time for you and your lawyer to review the numbers. Your attorney might give you the advice to not accept the first offer, or based on your circumstances, they may advise you to accept it.  If you believe the settlement is far too low and you haven’t hired an attorney, this point would be the perfect time to do so. Your attorney can help negotiate a higher settlement if the first offer is too low. 

How To Get More Out of Your Settlement

Hiring a Port St. Lucie Personal Injury Lawyer who has the skills to negotiate more out of your settlement and give you the best advice for your settlement can be extremely beneficial. When you hire a personal injury lawyer, they will be responsible for doing most of the work for you and guiding you through what to do next. When is the best time to hire a personal injury lawyer in your case? There is no right or wrong answer here, but the sooner, the better. Insurance companies have professionals working for them who are going to try and back the company up, so you should have your own professional working with you to fight for you through the process.  Hiring a Port St. Lucie Personal Injury Lawyer from the start can also help you better understand the process you are about to go through. Once you hire a lawyer, they will be collecting evidence for your case, discussing with medical professionals to obtain your records, and communicating with the insurance adjuster for you.  Once your insurance settlement offer starts to roll in, your lawyer can disclose if they believe it is the right settlement for you to take or if you could negotiate for a better and fairer settlement. Your attorney can also help you estimate how much you could expect to receive out of your case once the investigation process begins on the insurer’s end.  Although it can sometimes be timely to hire an attorney, it is worth it in the end to look for the right lawyer that can bring satisfaction to your case and help you seek the compensation you deserve.  Most law firms offer free consultations where you can sit down with an attorney to discuss your case and hear how your attorney can help you specifically. If you feel like they are the right fit, you have a lawyer to work with. 

Learn How Frankl Kominsky Injury Lawyers Can Help

If you have to file an insurance claim for a recent car accident or personal injury accident, the attorneys at Frankl Kominsky Injury Lawyers can help you seek extra compensation. Hiring a Port St. Lucie Personal Injury Lawyer who has in-depth knowledge can help you reach a favorable outcome in your case. Our firm has been in practice for over 40 years helping residents of Port St. Lucie with their personal injury cases and other accidents (by appointment only). We know how insurance adjusters do everything in their power to find ways to lower the settlement you are offered. That’s why we are proud to say we know what to anticipate from their moves and know how to fight for you to help you seek what you legally deserve. When you are ready to start building your case with an experienced attorney, call Frankl Kominsky Injury Lawyers at (561) 800-8000 or fill out the free case evaluation on our website. One of our representatives will reach out to you to schedule your no-obligation free consultation.  We look forward to hearing from you soon and helping you seek rightful compensation. 

Legally Reviewed By: Steven L. Frankl

Steven L. Frankl represents clients in cases of catastrophic injury, wrongful death, motor vehicle accidents, trucking accidents, medical malpractice, and product liability, as well as slip/trip fall accidents and nursing home neglect. Mr. Frankl’s practice is built on the pursuit of justice and fair compensation for his clients.

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