Insurance adjusters are representatives of the insurance company. By nature of their employment, the insurance adjusters are on the defence side of your personal injury claim. They are trained to encourage you to settle the case on your own and to discourage you from hiring a lawyer. Typically, the same adjuster works on the claim from beginning to end. It is in his or her interest to settle quickly and for as little money as possible, as adjustors are evaluated on this statistic by their employer.
Dealing with an adjuster on your own for your tort claim without hiring a lawyer can significantly harm your personal injury case. The reason for this is that adjusters are known to:
Seek a signed statement about the accident
Seek access to your medical history and all medical records from medical practitioners you have seen or plan to see by means of signing a blanket form
Arrange an internet search to investigate your claim
Hire a private investigator to follow you
Fail to immediately have your vehicle and the accident site investigated by a qualified accident reconstruction engineer
Try to convince you to settle for less than the claim is worth
Encourage you to settle your case without the benefit of legal advice
Pressure you into accepting their offer by setting a deadline for their acceptance
Encourage you to sign documentation immediately
Offers of settlement made by an adjustor are unlikely to reflect what a review of the recent court cases would suggest that your claims true value is. There is no need for you to rush into accepting a settlement offer and doing so will thwart your ability to recover additional compensation later if complications from your injuries arise. You actually have two years from the date of the accident to commence a lawsuit in order to file an insurance claim. It is best not to engage in any discussion with the adjuster and to hire a lawyer to represent you instead. Hiring a Lawyer Your best option for dealing with an insurance adjuster is through a lawyer. Your lawyer can advise you on how to best protect your interests, while your insurance adjuster will not. Your lawyer can direct the process and advise when to settle, while your adjuster will encourage you to settle for as little as possible. Hiring a lawyer to represent you will help to level the playing field with the ICBC. Insurance adjusters have been trained to represent the interests of the insurance company and they have access to in-house ICBC lawyers at any time. The success of your claim rests on your decision about whether to try deal with the insurance adjuster yourself or to obtain professional legal representation. If you have been in a motor vehicle accident, contact a lawyer at Bronson Jones & Co. LLP to represent you. We are a plaintiff only law firm, meaning we do not represent the ICBC. We will review your case at the free initial consultation and, if hired, fight for the compensation you rightly deserve. Protect your interests by contacting us at Bronson Jones & Co. LLP in Vancouver, British Columbia today.