What to Expect From the Insurance Adjuster After a Car Crash
After a car crash, most people deal with an insurance adjuster long before they think about a lawsuit. An adjuster evaluates the claim on behalf of the insurance company, and some common practices can reduce the value of a claim if they go unnoticed. Knowing what to expect is one reason people talk with a car accident lawyer before they sign anything.
What the adjuster may ask for
An adjuster for the other driver may call within days to request a recorded statement. There is usually no obligation to give one to the other side's insurer, although a person's own policy may require cooperation with their own insurer. Comments made while hurting or medicated can later be used to dispute the claim. Adjusters sometimes send broad medical authorizations that open records unrelated to the crash. A car crash lawyer usually limits what is shared to records related to the crash.
Early offers and disputed injuries
An offer may arrive before the full extent of an injury is known. Accepting usually means signing a release that ends the injury claim. Insurers may argue that light vehicle damage means no one could have been hurt, or point to gaps in treatment and preexisting conditions. https://caraccidentlawyers.wiki/entities/ Many also raise comparative negligence, assigning a share of the fault to the injured driver.
When the car is repaired or totaled
A property damage claim usually moves faster than an injury claim. When a car is repairable, the insurer prepares an estimate, and the shop may find more damage once the car is taken apart. Rules on aftermarket parts depend on the policy and state law. If repairs would cost more than a threshold set by state law or the insurer, the car is declared a total loss. The insurer then owes the actual cash value, meaning the market value just before the crash. Listings for comparable cars can support a higher number, and gap insurance, if purchased, may cover a remaining loan balance.
Getting around during repairs
While the car is being repaired, the at-fault driver's insurer may owe the reasonable cost of a rental or payment for loss of use. The length of that period is often disputed, particularly when parts are delayed or the insurer is slow to inspect. A person's own rental reimbursement coverage typically has a daily limit and a maximum number of days. Keeping receipts and notes of each call with the adjuster helps support the claim.
Diminished value
A repaired car with a crash history often sells for less than one without. That difference is called diminished value. Whether it can be recovered depends on the state and on the kind of claim. Claims against the at-fault driver's insurer are more commonly allowed than claims under a person's own policy, which may exclude it. A written appraisal and the vehicle history report can document the loss. A motor vehicle accident attorney will know the rule in the state where the crash happened.
Complaints and general information
Each state has an insurance department that takes consumer complaints, and some states also have bad faith laws for unreasonable claim handling. This article is general information, not legal advice, and no article can promise a particular result.
Corrections
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