Insurance Adjuster Lowball Offer
When someone is injured in a car accident and it is clearly the other driver’s fault, they assume the injury claim process will be straightforward. With no liability in dispute and serious injuries, they assume the adjuster will want to work with them to find a fair settlement offer. They are often surprised when this doesn’t happen. All too often the insurance adjuster gives a lowball offer. The truth is insurance adjusters often drag their feet and do everything possible to delay a case. A personal injury lawyer can help keep this process moving and hold the adjuster’s feet to the fire in order to resolve this case as quickly as possible.
The insurance companies do this because they know that time is on their side. They know that when a person is injured and missing work, their money is likely running out. The longer they can drag out the process, the more desperate they hope the injured person will become. Eventually, the frustration and mounting bills might become too much and an injured person just settles to be done with this process. This is a deeply cynical policy but it saves them millions of dollars per year. In the end, these insurance companies put profits over people and do everything possible to minimize the amount they have to payout.
Insurance Adjuster Won't Respond
Lowball offers and unfair treatment weren’t always the case. There was a time when insurance adjusters worked fairly with people and tried to fairly negotiate a settlement. It was in the late 80s/early 90s that many insurance companies set out on a “Delay, Deny, Defend” strategy for lawsuits. This was pioneered by Allstate who essentially picked a “Good Hands, Boxing Glove” approach – either the injured person accepted a low-ball settlement from the hand, or they faced extended litigation from the boxing glove. Sadly, this method has worked in lining the pockets of rich corporations, but it has left many injured people holding the bag after an injury caused by another’s negligence.
Insurance Adjuster Offer Too Low
It should be noted that in some cases, the adjuster will work to settle quickly. This is another kind of insurance adjuster lowball offer. If there are serious injuries and minimal insurance coverage, they often will settle because they realize that the damages are going to exceed the policy limits. But these cases are the exception and represent only a fraction of the cases handled by the adjuster. In the vast majority of cases, the adjuster is going to delay and deny in an effort to force the injured person to accept less than a fair amount for their injuries.
Negotiating With Insurance Adjuster
At Johnson Law, we understand how frustrating it can be to be treated unfairly by the insurance adjuster. Our clients aren’t people looking for a windfall, they just want a fair amount to make them whole after an accident. We aggressively fight to make sure that our clients are treated with respect by the insurance adjuster and that they get a positive resolution to their case. A personal injury knows how to negotiate with an insurance adjuster and what tricks to expect from them. If you have been injured by another’s negligence in Portland or anywhere in Oregon, contact our law firm today for a free consultation with a personal injury lawyer.
