Insurance companies operate to limit payouts. Knowing their process helps you protect your
claim:
- Initial report: adjusters open a file and gather preliminary facts. Early documentation shapes
their liability view. - Recorded statements and medical releases: adjusters may request statements and broad
medical releases. These can be used to mine information; limit releases or provide them after
consulting counsel. - Liability evaluation: adjusters weigh police reports, photos, witness statements, and medical
records. They may hire investigators or accident reconstruction experts. - Valuation: insurers compare your economic losses and perceived pain and suffering to
determine an offer. They consider policy limits and litigation risk. - Lowball tactics: early offers are often conservative. Insurers may also dispute causation,
argue prior conditions, or assert comparative fault. - Settlement negotiations: skilled negotiators press for higher offers, present damages clearly,
and push back against defenses. - Litigation threat: a lawsuit signals seriousness and increases settlement leverage in many
cases.
To protect your claim: document everything, avoid recorded statements without counsel, and
let your attorney negotiate releases and settlement language that protects future rights.
