After getting involved in a motorcycle accident, you are likely to get a call from an insurance adjuster. Insurance adjusters normally want to know what exactly happened and the seriousness of the accident.
In most cases, you won’t be in a position to communicate with the adjuster because of the injuries. You may also not recall all the details of the accident. Additionally, you may not be able to know the extent of injuries, particularly if you haven’t undergone a medical evaluation. Below are ways to handle an insurance adjuster.
1. Talk to Your Lawyer
One of the first persons to contact after a motorcycle accident is an accident lawyer. Avoid divulging a lot of information to law enforcement agents or insurance adjusters before talking to a lawyer. Motorcycle accident lawyers understand how accident laws work. They also have experience in dealing with insurance adjusters.
Contact your accident lawyer and give them all the details about the accident. They will instruct you on what to say and what not to say. Your lawyer will also conduct an independent investigation to establish the cause of the accident and who is at fault.
2. Know Who You are Talking To
Before you say anything, ensure you are speaking to an adjuster from your insurance company or one from the other party’s insurance firm. You need to cooperate if the insurance adjuster represents your company. As a policyholder, you are obligated to participate in the investigation process of your insurance claim.
Be careful when the adjuster contacts you on behalf of the other party involved in the accident. Although your insurance company has your interest at heart, the goal of the other party’s insurance company is to minimize the amount of claim to be paid.
3. Don’t Sign Documents
There are certain documents that must be signed during the investigations and the claim process. However, be wary of signing any documents presented to you by an insurance adjuster. The insurance company for the other party will need your medical records.
An insurance adjuster will request you to sign a medical release. This will give them the right to obtain your medical records. The risk of allowing this is that the adjuster may obtain more of your medical information than the ones required to settle a claim.
4. Wait to Settle the Claim
You should always remember that the insurance adjuster is not your friend. An adjuster will do everything possible to deny or reduce your claim amount. One of the ways they achieve this is to hurriedly make a settlement offer to the injured victim. You can be sure that their offer won’t be anything close to the value of your case.
If you agree to the settlement, you will have to sign a release. This means that you won’t be able to come back and file a claim in case you find out your damages and losses are higher than previously thought.
In a nutshell, dealing with an insurance adjuster can be tricky. You need to be careful not to start a conversation without consulting your lawyer.
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