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How do insurance adjusters work on car accidents?
The investigator or adjusterfrom the other side's insurance company may be very pleasant, appear to be concerned, and even try to be your friend. Beware. The adjuster's job is to protect the insurance company, that is, to not pay you at all or to pay you as little as possible.
Do not fall for manipulative tactics. ("I know you’re hurting, but you don’t want to make a big deal about this, and bother your friends and neighbors, do you?")
The adjuster may try to minimize the nature and extent of the pain or the impact of any permanent injury. ("You can still play piano, can't you?") While that may outrage you, other tactics are more subtle. The adjuster may persuade you to accept full or partial responsibility for the accident when it was not your fault ("I guess you should have paid more attention…") or get you to believe it was just one of those things ("If you took the dog for a walk earlier…."), or tell you how difficult it will be to recover ("If I were you I’d accept this. You’ll never get more. The courts have a seven year back-up and you’ll never be able to hire a good lawyer, they are so expensive…."). Hogwash. An experienced car accident attorneycan help you avoid these classic traps. |
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Should I try to settle with the other person’s insurance company?
How do insurance adjusters work on car accidents?
Are different types of accidents treated differently?
What if the ‘accident’ involves intentional wrongdoing?
Suppose the accident involves an inherently dangerous activity?
What about ‘reckless’ conduct?
What about accidents occurring from plain old negligence or carelessness?
Suppose the accident is ‘all my fault’?
What about ‘accidents’ that result from an ‘act of god’?
What about ‘accidents’ resulting from defective products?
If I go to a circus knowing that wild animals are there, or to a baseball game and get hit by a foul ball, do I ‘assume the risk’?
As ‘accidents happen’ why are lawyers involved?
Do people need a lawyer for all accidents?
Do I have to pay the lawyer in an accident case up front?
If I am in an accident do I have to speak to the other side’s insurance company?
I injured somebody in a car accident. The insurance company refused to settle within my policy limits, and the jury awarded damages in excess of my policy limits. Must I pay the excess?
While driving next to a golf course that had no fencing, my car’s window was cracked by a golf ball. The course manager claims no responsibility and told me the person who hit the ball is liable (but is impossible to find). Can I sue the owner of the golf course?
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