An insurance adjuster gets assigned a claim, one chosen by the adjuster’s supervisor. At that point it becomes the adjuster’s responsibility to perform the needed actions. Those actions are supposed to adjust the situation, so that a settlement becomes a more likely possibility.
• All adjusters have the same goals
• Try to keep the payout to the claimant as low as possible
• Aim for creation of a pre-trial settlement; work to avoid a lawsuit
It is a known fact that adjusters study the facts, before taking any action. Some of the questions that they ask include:
• What was the figure for claimant’s medical expenses; what was the total for all of the claimant’s medical bills?
• Did the claimant suffer a loss of income?
• Does it appear that the claimant’s pre-accident job will remain a way to earn a living?
• Did the injury cause any pain and suffering?
• Did the injury introduce any disruptions into the accident victim’s life?
• What are the limits on the defendant’s insurance policy? The payout to the claimant cannot exceed those limits.
• What is the strength of the victim’s case? The stronger a case appears, the greater the chances that the victim/claimant might decide to file a lawsuit.
What other factors do adjusters take into consideration?
To what degree is the plaintiff determined to obtain a fair settlement? Plaintiffs that view a fair settlement as their overriding goal tend to hire a lawyer. A client with a personal injury lawyer in London could decide to file a lawsuit.
What is the evidence of fault, on the part of either party? Could a third party be held partly responsible for the injuries? For instance, could it be that the air bag did not deploy properly, thus increasing the injury’s severity?
Finally, the adjuster waits to see if the claimant plans to send a demand letter. Claimants that compose such a letter provide its recipient (the adjuster) with a clear idea for the amount of money that they hope to obtain, following receipt of their compensation.
If the amount demanded seems unrealistic, in the adjuster’s eyes, then that fact gets stated in the response. Adjusters’ comments, those made in their response to a demand letter, often push claimants to reconsider their argument. Their reconsiderations might be presented in the claimants’ answers.
Adjusters study the answer to their initial response. That action helps them to make the next step. That step starts the negotiating process.
What is the next step? It concerns the first offer from the defendant’s insurance company. Adjusters’ examination of the answer to their response helps them to determine the figure to quote, when making that offer.Once claimants have received that initial offer, then, as stated above, the negotiations start. Ideally, pursuit of the negotiation process results in an agreement, and then a settlement.