Insurance Adjusters How They Work And How They Think
|
Here comes the insurance adjuster. Is he overly friendly? If so, watch out! It's OK to be hospitable. Be good-tempered and cordial - - but beware! Never forget he's paid to save his company as much money as he can. That's the name of his game.
DON'T SIGN ANYTHING: Don't overestimate the good will of the adjuster. They're trained to investigate accident cases in such a way, if at all possible, to make their insured look good. Many unsuspecting individuals fall prey to the adjuster who seeks to protect his company's pocketbook at the expense of a legitimate claimant.
If a company calls you and suggests they take your statement over the telephone, tell them you would prefer to meet with an adjuster. Don't agree to dictate a verbal statement into a tape recorder over the phone, and certainly not when you're in the presence of an adjuster. Don't sign a statement when you meet with him. Whatever the circumstance may be, advise whomever you're dealing with that you'll be more than willing to provide a signed statement, after your claim has been settled.
HOW TO PROCEED WITH THE ADJUSTER: Be pleasant, but firm. No matter how much in the wrong the person is that hit you, no matter how they acted at the scene of the accident, and no matter what they may have verbalized to or at you, don't take it out on the adjuster. It's not the adjuster's fault if his insured is an idiot.
You must never underestimate the importance of the adjuster's impressions and conclusions, all of which go into your file. What he feels and reports about you have a great influence on the final disposition of your claim. If he likes you that's money in the bank. On the other hand, if he gets upset with you he has the ability to twist the facts to make you look bad. Once that's been done, it will be set in cement, go into your file and, without you're ever being aware of it and haunt you to the last dollar of your settlement.
THE ADJUSTERS CLAIM LOAD: The job performance of insurance adjusters is judged not only on how little of the company's money they spend in settlements, but also on how quickly they settle the claims assigned to them. They're constantly under pressure to settle your claim; to get rid of it and move on. The adjuster will never tell you, but the weight of their caseload comes down on your side of the scale. It's an advantage people are never aware of.
THE ADJUSTERS SETTLEMENT AUTHORITY: The Adjuster's authority to settle claims on their own is restricted on how much experience they have. For a less experienced adjuster, perhaps $5,000 to $10,000, but for a more experienced adjuster, their settlement authority may go as high as $20,000. When bigger bucks are involved they usually have to be given permission to settle the case from their immediate supervisor.
THE BOTTOM LINE: Don't let a sweet talking insurance adjuster manipulate you into feeling good about your relationship with him and the eventual outcome of your claim. In the vast majority of instances that's not the way you should play the game because if provided with the opportunity, they'll almost always take advantage of you. That's a fact of life. Know and understand that they're only doing their job. Their assignment is to save money for the company who signs their paychecks - - no matter what it takes.
If you have a legitimate claim stay cool and understand what you're up against. Don't be impossible to deal with, but remain steady. Remember that the adjuster wants to look good to his company. He doesn't want your claim to end up in court, plus he wants to reduce his caseload. Be patient. At the end of the day, after the dust has settled, he'll be forced to do the right thing.
DISCLAIMER: The only purpose of this claim tip is to help people understand the motor vehicle accident claim process. Neither Dan Baldyga nor (name of magazine/newsletter and/or web site) make any guarantee of any kind whatsoever; NOR to substitute for a lawyer, an insurance adjuster, or claims consultant, or the like. Where such professional help is desired it is the INDIVIDUAL'S RESPONSIBILITY to obtain said services.
Dan Baldyga's latest book AUTO ACCIDENT PERSONAL INJURY INSURANCE CLAIM (How To Evaluate And Settle Your Loss) can be found on the internet at his web site http://www.autoaccidentclaims.com or visit your favoite bookstore.
Copyright (c) 2002 Daniel G. Baldyga. All rights reserved.
Dan Baldyga
About The Author
For 30 years Dan Baldyga was a claims adjuster, supervisor, manager and also a trial assistant. He is now retired and spends his time attempting to assist those involved in motor vehicle accident claims so they will not be taken advantage of.
|
|
|
Protecting Your Expatriate Family
If you and your family relocate overseas, one of your first priorities from a financial planning point of view may very well be establishing health care.Costs and services abroad can differ greatly to what you are accustomed to 'back home'. Therefore it's essential to make sure that you are fully covered.Starting with straight health insurance for you and your family you may the...(related: Insurance)
Life Insurance Information
Life insurance is a personal insurance plan designed to pay out a sum of money on the death of the policyholder. Life Insurance is an insurance that is taken out against a persons life. It will pay out either a lump sum or monthly contributions to the "trustee" or next of kin in the event of the policy holder's death.Life insurance is, as the name implies, an insurance policy taken out on an individual's life. As with any other insurance policy, regular premiums are paid by the policyholder to the insurance company - and should the policyholder die, then the policy will pay...(related: Insurance)
Health Insurance, What Does It Mean?
Your health insurance policy is an agreement between you and your insurance company. The policy lists a package of medical benefits such as tests, drugs and treatment services. The insurance company agrees to cover the cost of certain benefits listed in your policy. These are called "covered services."Your health insurance policy also lists the kinds of services that are not covered by your insurance company. You have to pay for any uncovered medical care health insurance that you receive. Keep in mind that in case of health insurance a medical necessity is not the same as a medical benefit. A medical necessity is something that your doctor has decided is necessary. A medical benefit is ...(related: Insurance)
Theres No Problem Getting Texas Auto Insurance In Texas
Everything is big in Texas and so it is with Texas auto insurance. You will have a tough time driving in Texas if your car is uninsured. You'll have to have Texas auto insurance to be able to obtain or renew a licence or licence plates for your vehicle and your vehicle must be inspected. Always have proof of insurance and your driver's licence with you at all times.This is the first thing you will be asked for if you're stopped for any reason.If you are just moving to Texas from out of the state you have to obtain a vehicle identification certificate from the inspection station. Then you need to get your vehicle inspected and have the technician fill out the forms. If you're already a resident of Texas you have to have an inspection done on your car at least once every year. This also verifies that you have the required Texas auto ...(related: Insurance)
How To Match The Right Insurance Policy To The 4 Stages Of Life
As we go through life our needs change. A Young man or women with a family has very different insurance needs then the Empty Nester. Here is a guide to help you determine what type of insurance best matches your need based on the 4 Stages of lifeStage 1 While traveling the great state of Missouri one of the biggest objections I hear is why do I need life insurance. I'm young, single and healthy. That is the best time to buy life insurance. The younger you are and the healthier you are the cheaper life insurance is.When you are still young and single you may not really need life insurance but that is the best time to buy it. A small whole life policy of 50,000 or maybe 100,000 is really is good investment for a young person. As long as y...(related: Insurance)
General Knowledge - Critical Illness Insurance
Critical illness can happen to anyone, and often does. If you are diagnosed with a critical illness, recovery should be your first concern. Having Critical Illness Insurance will allow you to focus on your health, because it can take the stress of worry about mone...(related: Insurance)
Health Insurance Plans And Their Differences
Health insurance plans have changed dramatically over the past ten years, and American's currently have several different options to choose from- including HMO's, PPO's, fee-for-service plans, MSA's and major medical. There are two main categories of health insurance plans that each of these policies is classified as; managed care plans and indemnity care plans. The differences between each of these plans mean the differences in how you will receive health care when you need i...(related: Insurance)
Insurance Providers Weather The Storm While Consumers Flounder
We have just had the first year's anniversary of the flash flooding which occurred at Boscastle in Cornwall. The floods saw some of the worst damage wrought by sudden rainfall in the UK for many years.The flood was caused by the remains of a hurricane which crossed the Atlantic, collecting vast amounts of water crossing, and was then pushed high above an area inland of the village depositing around 1,500m litres (330m gallons) of water within two hours.At the time insurance companies were estimating the bill for commercial damage to local businesses, would be as high as £15m.There is perhaps some comfort for insurers in that it could have been worse. Hurricane Charley, which hit Florida around the same time, cost over an estimated £6bn.In August this year, just a week after Birmingham was b...(related: Insurance)
Insurance For Those Who Run Bed And Breakfast Properties
A Bed and Breakfast, often referred to as a B&B, is a private residence with several rooms of which are set aside for overnight guests whose paid accommodations include breakfast. Modern Bed and Breakfast often consciously tries to recall...(related: Insurance)
Senior Life Settlements- A New Financial Dawn Emerges
When delving deeper into the market-driven research on the myriads of reasons, motivations, and/or rationales for senior life settlements - seniors selling their life insurance policies have surfaced in recent years. According to studies by key industry players, policyholder rationales for selling life policies are to be identified on one of three levels, due to a combination of them OR influencers from all three levels working together to result in senior life settlement transactions:Individual: cash-need for major expenses, outlived need for coverage, needing different coverage or features, financial distressFamily / Estate: Change in beneficiaries (e.g., divorce, death of dependents), Second-to-die policyholder (i.e., spouse) has passed away, material change in the value of estateBusiness: Change in key...(related: Insurance)
Life Insurance Whole Life Or Term Life - Find Affordable Life Insurance
Life insurance, whether you need term or whole life, can be a major expense. We all know the importance of having adequate life insurance. The protection of loved ones is the major thing on the minds of millions of people. If you are among the many who are looking for term or whole life insurance, a quote is easily obtainable and you may find lower rates t...(related: Insurance)
Term Life Insurance - Buy Term And Invest The Difference!
The phrase "BUY TERM AND INVEST THE DIFFERENCE" evolves around the concept of term life policy which is a basic protection policy and the endowment/ whole life policy which has protection and investment/saving features. To put it simply, the phrase means that instead of taking up the endowment/whole life policy, an individual should buy a term policy for protection and the difference between the premiums of the two policies is to be invested by the indi...(related: Insurance)
Is Purchasing Travel Insurance Smart?
To answer the question "is purchasing travel insurance smart?" let's look at what insurance is.When you purchase insurance - health insurance, homeowner's insurance, car insurance, life insurance, or travel insurance - you're not making an investment. It's not the same as going to the bank and depositing money and expecting to reap financial rewards at some point. No, any insurance including travel insurance is about sharing risk in case of unforeseen catastrophic events.For thousands of years, risks have been shared during times of tragedy. The first formal insurance company, Lloyd's, was formed in 1769, and their insurance concept remains today - to gather the premiums of clients as a pool of resources to return to clients who experience covered events.Is purchasing ...(related: Insurance)
site-map - Copyright © 2006 Insurance | All Rights Reserved. | Insurance