How to Negotiate with a Personal Injury Claims Adjuster

As an injured person in an accident, or someone who has sustained damages to a vehicle in a car accident, one of your next steps will be to work with a personal injury claims adjuster.  This can be a stressful experience for some people, especially for those people who have no idea what to expect when it comes to negotiating with a claims adjuster.  When it comes time for you to take on this feat, here are a few of the top secrets that you will need to know.

First, after an injury you must know that action is required on your part immediately.  This can be difficult, especially considering the fact that you and your family are likely reeling from pain and shock of your trauma.  Your life is in chaos, and you aren’t sure which end is up and which end is down.  However, for the claims adjuster who will eventually be assigned to your claim, time is an essential element.  They know that as you deal with your injuries and the emotional and physical pain caused by them, the more that you focus on that rather than the claim, the better it is for them.  You see, as time moves on, there is a greater chance that crucial evidence will fade or become corrupted and unusable.

If you are going to have a successful claim, you will need to be vigilant and make sure that any and all possible evidence in support of your claim is gathered quickly.  It is vital that you contact any witnesses to the accident event and to make sure that you maintain their contact information and their witness statements.  You will want to see a doctor quickly and make sure that you keep any important medical information that they provide you regarding your injury.

Second, it is a truth universally acknowledged that most personal injury claims adjusters will advise you to not seek legal counsel, but to instead trust them that they are offering you a fair deal when it comes to their compensation.  For minor accidents, this may in fact be the case, but for the big things, you will need legal advice.  If you have suffered major injuries, or the details of the claim are incredibly complex, then you will need to find a personal injury attorney to represent you in your personal injury claim.

Third and final, it is important to remember that insurance companies are multi-billion dollar corporations.  They are not non-profit organizations; they are in fact large, for-profit businesses that operate in the best interests of themselves.  They will do everything possible to ensure that they can settle your claim for the lowest amount possible.  They will never operate with the primary goal of ensuring that the compensation that you receive is fair or that is suits your needs.  Many people go into personal injury claims believing that the claims adjuster is their friend and will work in their best interest, but this is simply not the case in a larger portion of personal injury claims.  If you feel that you are not getting the best compensation possible, contact a Portland personal injury attorney immediately to assist you.