Q. Should you talk to the insurance company representatives who call?A. No. |
After you are in an accident, a claims adjuster or other insurance company representative will make a friendly call to you. They may even come to your home. They smile. They seem to want to be helpful.
You may be inclined to be friendly and talk to the rep. It seems like the right thing to do. But we do not encourage you to engage in conversation. Here’s why.
The insurance company rep is really not there to be friendly, or because he or she cares. They are there for one purpose: to minimize any payout to you. If they can get you to say something that allows them to dismiss your claim, they win and you lose.
As an example, let’s say the insurance company rep asks you how your injury, a broken arm, is. The human response is to be brave and minimize the suffering the accident caused you. “Oh, I’m sure it’s nothing,” you say. “I’ll be fine in no time.”
Your brave remark will come back to haunt you. “Claimant stated that the injury was minimal, and recovery would be quick,” they will write down. And it immediately becomes harder to negotiate rightful compensation for an injury that has cost you thousands.
A good thing to remember: Insurance companies are not your friend, no matter what their commercials say. Their No. 1 job is to minimize payouts, the exact opposite of your goal.
An experienced injury lawyer isn’t your friend, either. But we are on the same side as you. If you do well, we do well. For this reason, you can trust us to look out for your best interests.
So, Should I Talk To The Insurance Adjuster?
No. Don’t talk to the insurance company’s people. That’s what we’re for.
At Bashein & Bashein Company, L.P.A., we have been helping clients around Cleveland and northeast Ohio obtain compensation since 1949. Over this period our attorneys have moved more than $450 million — nearly half a billion — from insurance companies to people like yourself.