If you have been hit in a car accident, and have filed a claim with the other driver’s insurance company, then you should expect to get a call from the insurance adjuster at the same company. How should you respond to that call?
What to say and do during the call
Stay calm and be polite. Get the adjuster’s name and phone number. Get the name of the insurance company, and the company’s address.
Provide the adjuster with only a limited amount of information: Your name, your address and phone number, where you work, or the type of work that you do. In addition, it is OK to mention the existence of any witnesses.
If possible, take notes; write down what you have been told.Make it clear that you have set a limit on the amount of information that you are willing to share over the phone. Reduce the chances that the same adjuster might try subjecting you to multiple calls.
What not to say during that initial phone conversation with the adjuster
• Do not agree to provide the adjuster with a statement.
• Do not offer details on what took place during the moments of the accident. You could share some basic facts, such as when the accident took place, where it took place, and the type of incident that caused you to become injured.
• Do not describe your injuries.
Comments that you might make, in response to the adjuster’s questions
If you are asked to provide a statement, say that you have hired a lawyer, and you do not want to make any statement until your Injury Lawyer in Kitchener can be present, and can listen as you recall what you remember about the accident. If the adjuster keeps asking for information on your injuries, you might want to say that you are still treating your injuries. That is a polite answer, but it does a good job of leaving the adjuster in the dark.
The insurance company wants each injured claimant to pursue all prescribed treatments. Hence, the adjuster cannot find fault with your response. Still, you have not revealed the full extent of your injuries. That should make your lawyer happy. You do not have to explain any possible change in your treatment approach in the near future.
Actions to take after that first call with the adjuster has ended
If you have taken notes, review them. If you did not take any notes, quickly write down the information that you collected by listening to the adjuster’s comments and questions. Record the date and time, so that you can share that information with your lawyer. Go online and see if the adjuster’s insurance company has a website.