Advice For Claimant That Plans To Negotiate With Insurance Company

Not all claimants retain a lawyer. Some see no reason to seek a lawyer’s help, when negotiating with the insurance company. Still, it does not hurt to follow a few words of advice.

The claimant must send an organized demand letter.

That gets sent to the person that appears responsible in the claimant’s eyes. The claimant’s case becomes stronger, if the package with the demand letter includes some supporting evidence, such as pictures of the damage.

What happens after that demand letter has gone out?

At this point, claimants should expect a call from the adjuster. The adjuster normally mentions the strengths and weaknesses in the claimant’s case. Then the adjuster’s initial offer gets introduced. Smart claimants prepare for the introduction of that offer. Smart claimants already have a minimum settlement figure in mind. A claimant’s ability to come up with a minimum settlement figure makes the coming decision easier. At this point, the claimant must choose between accepting the adjuster’s offer, rejecting that same offer, or making a new offer.

Injury Lawyer in Waterloo know that both adjusters and claimants could have a reason for composing an additional letter. An adjuster might write a reservation of rights letter. It would state that the claimant’s case was being investigated, but no payment could be promised until the insurer knew whether or not the claim was covered. If the adjuster’s offer was quite low, the recipient/claimant could compose a written request for details, explaining the reason for the low offer. If the adjuster responds to that request, the claimant should take notes, and then follow-up with a reply.

How claimants can take advantage of time spent on the phone?

Seek the adjuster’s reaction to any correspondence and emphasize any strong points. Mention any emotional points. Remember that if the case proceeds to trial, no emotional issues can be introduced in the courtroom. Ideally, the negotiating parties (adjuster and claimant) will reach an agreement.

What happens after an agreement has been reached?

A claimant’s hope for compensation does not become a reality when an adjuster agrees to an offer made by the person that has filed a personal injury claim. Instead, that adjuster’s promised figure needs to appear in a written document. The same document must include any the terms that were part of the oral agreement, the one reached during a phone call. In addition, the document with the written agreement ought to give the date when all of the settlement documents will get mailed out.

That final package of documents should, naturally, include the check, with the promised amount of money. After all, that is the goal of all claimants, as they devote their time and efforts to negotiating with the insurance company.