FAQs About Insurance Adjusters And Auto Accident Personal Injury Cases

Should I Talk To The Insurance About My Accident?

No. Insurance companies love to talk to people who don't have an attorney. Don't talk to any insurance companies - even your own insurance! Did you know that unrepresented people with serious personal injuries can damage and even destroy their own case by talking to the insurance?

Should I Give A Statement To The Insurance?

No. Insurance companies pay adjusters to investigate claims and gather facts. They try to get statements from all the people involved in an accident. They also get witness statements.  After gathering the facts, the adjuster decides who is to blame (“liability”). Statements are a very important part of the insurance company investigation. Adjusters like to get recorded statements, casually mentioning to a vulnerable accident victim that the call will be recorded.

But, even if you have “nothing to hide”, do not talk to any insurance adjuster!  Insurance companies are motivated by money. They look for ways to deny your claim, and pay less than your claim is worth. So, their questions can be confusing, especially when you're in pain due to the accident. And their questions can be slanted in their favor. Giving a recorded statement to the insurance adjuster may end your case before it even begins.

I am the attorney at Gardner Law. I will not let any insurance company get your statement unless I'm right there with you.

Should I Sign To Let The Insurance Get My Medical Records?

If you claim any injuries, the adjuster will ask you to sign a medical authorization form. These forms are typically very broad. They usually let the adjuster dig almost limitlessly into your complete medical history. The insurance can pry into pre-existing conditions and medical issues. These conditions and issues may or may not even be related to your serious personal injury claim.

Unfortunately, many claimants sign these releases. A claimant may be out of it, injured and stressed out. They may be anxious to cooperate with the insurance company. They might believe by cooperating, the insurance company will look out for them and pay them. Some think that the more they cooperate, the higher chance that the adjuster will pay a fair settlement.

Other accident victims may think it sounds convenient. The insurance may explain that to evaluate their claim, they will need copies of the medical bills, records and reports. A common ploy is saying to an injured and already stressed out person, “You can gather up everything for me, or just sign this form and I will be happy to do all the legwork for you.”

It seems like a good and easy choice to just sign the form. But, this is rarely the case, because a medical authorization form may be used against an injured claimant. An injured person signs it, hoping that it will speed up their claim and result in a payment. Yet, it may bring up things that could defeat or reduce the value of your claim.

Nothing requires that an injured claimant sign a medical authorization form with the insurance company.

Any insurance adjuster who tells a claimant that they must sign a medical authorization is not being honest. Protect yourself from this insurance company tactic by contacting my office, Gardner Law. I will obtain your serious injury case medical records directly. The insurance company will not obtain a signed authorization from any of the clients of Gardner Law.

Do I Need An Attorney For My Personal Injury Case?

The insurance adjuster may tell you not to worry, they will "work with you" on your serious personal injury claim.

But the truth is that insurance adjusters do not want you to hire an attorney.

Why? Because the insurance company will almost always end up paying out more money to a person who has an attorney on a serious personal injury case, versus someone who represents themselves. Insurance companies really like dealing with claimants who don't have an attorney. So, they use a lot of ploys to persuade an injured person to handle their claim without an attorney, such as these insurance tactics that can hurt you. Protect yourself from this insurance company tactic by contacting me. I will fight to protect you in this serious personal injury case. The insurance protects themselves; let me work to protect you. 

If I Have An Accident Case, Who Should I Call?

If you have been seriously injured in an accident, do not fall for these secret insurance adjuster strategies. Instead, talk to a good attorney before you do anything besides: calling 911 and seek medical care. If you are hurt, reach out to me here: message me here.