Have you sustained an injury in an accident caused by a negligent party? If so, you must be careful who to talk to and what you must say. The negligent party’s insurance company will assign a claims adjuster to handle your personal injury claim. This person will contact you soon to try to convince you to accept some terms or get you to admit fault for the accident. They will do this to try to reduce the amount of compensation you can get or deny your claim altogether. Before you speak with an adjuster, make sure you consult with a personal injury attorney in Ontario first. Insurance adjusters will use deceitful tactics when handling your claim including the following:
They Will Call You Right after the Accident
Insurance providers will try to get to you first to gain your trust and prevent you from contacting an attorney. Their claims adjusters know that if you hire an attorney, you can get a higher settlement than you would when you choose to handle your claim unrepresented. The adjuster will try to convince you to agree to a claim settlement immediately before you can understand the extent of your injuries and damages.
They Will Tell You a Lawyer is Not Necessary
An insurance adjuster will tell you that you can get a higher settlement offer from them if you don’t hire a lawyer. They will explain how the attorneys’ fees could negate the additional compensation you can get from the company. However, this is far from the truth. While your attorney gets a percentage of the compensation you will get, you still get an adequate amount, so it is a win-win situation for both parties.
They Will Ask You to Sign Certain Documents
The insurance adjuster will try to get you to sign documents that make you give up your rights to compensation. Never sign anything for an insurer before you can consult an attorney who can review the documents for you.
They Will Ask You to Provide them with Recorded Statements
Although you can talk to an adjuster about the basics of your accident and injury, never let them record your conversation. Even if they say that recording is necessary, decline it outright. Just tell them you will only release a statement when your attorney is present. Never let yourself be coerced into ditching your chances of getting fair compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering.
