What You Should Not Say to an Insurance Adjuster in Indiana

Conversations with an insurance adjuster can be overwhelming for accident victims in Indiana. To ensure your insurance claim is successful, you should learn what not to say when speaking with an Indiana insurance adjuster.

There are a few standard rules victims should abide by when speaking with an insurance adjuster in Indiana. For example, under no circumstances should victims accept fault. It’s also important not to speak in anger or to start agreeing to whatever an adjuster says without thinking about the implications of what is said. Victims should rarely say yes to an initial settlement offer, either.

To protect yourself during conversations with an insurance adjuster, you should always first talk to a lawyer to make sure your rights are protected. Your attorney will inform you what questions to answer and what not to say when speaking with an insurance adjuster so that you have the best chances of recovering what is owed after an accident in Indiana. In many cases, our lawyers are able to take over the insurance process in its entirety so that you won’t need to speak an insurance adjuster at all.

Our attorneys are here to help Indiana victims navigate the difficult discussions with insurance adjusters. For a free case evaluation with the Indiana personal injury lawyers at Wruck Paupore, call today at (219) 322-1166.

What to Avoid Saying to an Indiana Insurance Adjuster?

Speaking with an insurance adjuster alone can backfire on injured victims in Indiana. An insurance adjuster’s goal is to offer the smallest settlement amount possible or, in their best-case scenario, no settlement amount at all. That’s why it’s important for Indiana victims to learn what they should avoid saying to an insurance adjuster after an accident caused by a negligent party.

Don’t Accept Fault

Perhaps the most important thing victims should be aware of when speaking to an insurance adjuster after an Indiana accident is accepting fault. When victims misspeak because they don’t have an experienced Indiana personal injury lawyer to guide them, they can give insurance adjusters a reason to deny their claim.

When you accept fault, even by making a statement that appears insignificant, an insurance adjuster may deny your claim. This can seriously impact a victim’s ability to recover compensatory damages after a serious accident in Indiana. So, be careful about what you say and be sure to not accept fault in any way during conversations with an Indiana insurance adjuster.

Don’t Speak in Anger

Insurance adjusters in Indiana may employ unsavory tactics to entice injured victims to speak in anger, derailing their claim. While it can be frustrating to speak with an insurance adjuster who downplays your injuries or delays the claims process, try to remain calm. An emotional outburst can be all an Indiana insurance adjuster needs to deny your claim.

Be Careful in Providing Details

The more details you give an insurance adjuster about your Indiana accident, the more opportunity that adjuster has to confuse you. While victims may believe giving a thorough account of an incident’s events or their injuries will help them, that’s not always the case. Sometimes even minor inconsistencies can hurt your case. It’s important to let the facts speak for themselves. Your Indianapolis personal injury lawyer will give an insurance company all the necessary information and evidence regarding injuries caused by a negligent party, so you don’t have to provide these details yourself.

Don’t Say Yes to an Initial Settlement Offer

Saying yes to an initial settlement offer proposed by an Indiana insurance adjuster is rarely the best option. In our experience, the first settlement offer is typically far less than what an injury victim’s insurance claim is actually worth. Insurance adjusters know this, which is why they hope injured victims will accept an initial settlement out of the need for immediate compensatory damages or with a lack of understanding of the true value of their claim.

Suppose you accept an initial settlement offer and don’t have a Fort Wayne personal injury lawyer in your corner to negotiate on your behalf. In that case, you may be barred from recovering additional damages against a negligent party in a lawsuit. Although it’s understandable for victims to want immediate access to compensation after a damaging accident, saying yes to an initial settlement offer is generally not a good idea. You should always consult an attorney before agreeing to anything.

Don’t Say Anything without a Lawyer Present

A good rule of thumb for Indiana victims is to not speak to an insurance adjuster without first speaking to an attorney. Your lawyer can handle conversations with an insurance adjuster on your behalf. Injured victims often don’t know that insurance companies aren’t on their side. Even if you’ve filed a claim with your own uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage or your medical insurance, an adjuster doesn’t necessarily have your best interest at heart. To avoid making mistakes when speaking with an insurance adjuster, you should consult with an attorney who will advocate on your behalf.

Don’t Sign Anything

You should never sign any paper that an insurance adjuster presents to you without first consulting a lawyer. Even documents that appear routing can contain unreasonable fine print, and signing these documents sometimes involves giving up important legal rights.

What Should You Say to an Insurance Adjuster in Indiana?

On top of knowing what not to say to an Indiana insurance adjuster, victims need to learn what they should say. Knowing the right information can help victims navigate the claims process more easily and avoid falling into an insurance adjuster’s traps.

During your initial conversations with an insurance adjuster after an accident in Indiana, you’ll need to give them your personal information. That includes your name, address, contact information, and, in some cases, your place of work. Beyond those details, an Indiana insurance adjuster doesn’t need to know more about you. If they ask for more information, let your attorney handle it.

Another important thing to say to an insurance adjuster is that you don’t want your calls or communications recorded. Victims may not consider this, as insurance adjusters often claim that recorded calls will protect victims in the future. That’s why having an attorney is crucial. Your lawyer will advocate for you so that you know to decline when an insurance adjuster asks if you consent to recorded calls.

There are some exceptions to this rule, particularly in first-party claim situations where you are seeking recovery from your own insurance company. In these cases, your insurance contract may require you to give a Statement Under Oath about the accident, which is typically recorded. Refusing to do so can jeopardize your insurance coverage.

When in doubt, defer to your attorney. Your Hammond personal injury lawyer can carefully monitor what you say and when to say it so that you don’t misspeak during conversations with an insurance adjuster. Your attorney can prepare you for the process so you have the appropriate answers on hand when the time comes. And in many cases, our lawyers are able to take over the insurance process entirely so that you don’t need to have any interaction at all with the insurance adjusters.

Our Indiana Attorneys Can Help You Navigate Conversations with an Insurance Adjuster

If you’ve recently sustained an injury caused by a negligent party and require compensation, our attorneys can help. For a free case evaluation with the South Bend personal injury lawyers at Wruck Paupore, call today at (219) 322-1166.