After an injured accident victim has submitted a claim to the insurance company the insurer creates a file. The insurer then gives that file to one of the company’s adjusters.
The adjuster’s job
Investigate the reported accident, in order to learn what took place at the time of that incident. Personal injury lawyer in Highland will help to determine the value of the reported claim.
The adjuster’s goals
Keep the payout as low as possible. Try to settle out-of-court, and avoid a personal injury lawsuit
Initial tasks for the adjuster focus on determination of the claim’s worth
Request documentation, in order to obtain answers to the following questions
What was the total for the claimant’s medical expenses?
What was the value of the claimant’s lost income?
Had the victim endured any pain and suffering?
Had the victim’s injuries forced him/her to deal with life-changing consequences?
—Had the victim become disabled?
—Had the victim’s body suffered from some type of disfigurement?
Next task: consider answer to 2 other questions, both related to the adjuster’s goals
What are the limits on the policy that the company sold to the person that has been blamed for the accident?
What is the strength of the claimant’s case?
An adjuster that has completed the above tasks is ready to prepare for the negotiations.
The negotiations begin after presentation of the insurance company’s initial offer. Adjusters carry out the studies and calculations that guide them, during their efforts to determine the proper size for that first offer/bid.
—When claimants have a strong case, adjusters tend to come forward with a larger bid.
—The claimant’s demand also guides an adjuster, during determination of the opening bid.
—The adjuster’s supervisor might indicate that the claimant has hired a lawyer. That information would push the supervised adjuster to open with a large bid.
—Adjusters also look for information on the source of the victim’s treatment. Victims that were treated by a chiropractor, instead of a medical doctor receive a lower opening offer.
Adjusters expect to get a counteroffer from the claimant. That is usually lower than the initial demand. At that point the insurance company’s representative would probably increase slightly the size of the initial bid/offer.
If the claimant had felt that none of the previous offers had come close to his/her lowest acceptable offer, then the exchange of offers and counteroffers would continue. Eventually, the claimant and adjuster should agree on some figure. That becomes the figure used in the terms of the settlement.
After negotiations, settlements that highlight the achievement of adjusters’ goals generally feature a reasonable payout. What about adjusters’ second goal? Does that become a reality? Yes it does, because once the 2 parties have settled, there is no chance for a lawsuit.