Going Mano A Mano With The Claims Adjuster

Being Prepared and Making Nice Could Save You Big Bucks

Perhaps the most universally-dreaded moment for policyholders in the wake of a car accident is their first meeting with the car insurance claims adjuster. It’s one thing to know intellectually that the adjuster isn’t trying to trip us up, but believing it deep down is another thing entirely. So we’re not even going to try. Instead, the goal of this article is to help you be as prepared for the claims adjuster as possible so that you can meet as peers instead of as adversaries. 

1. He With The Most Information Wins. At the scene of an accident, walk around collecting bits of information as if it were money, because it is. If you used the ChoiceAutoInsurance.com Car Crash Cribnotes sheet, you’re ahead of the game. If not, print out a copy now and use it to help sharpen your memory of the accident. (Print a second copy and stash it in your glove compartment now to have for the next fender bender).
2. Your Policy Is Your Map. Review it to know what responsibilities have been assigned to everyone related to the accident, including your claims adjustor. Know what you need to do, what you can expect and what you have a right to ask for. Make notes and do any homework now, for example:
   • You may be required to get two repair estimates. ChoiceAutoInsurance.com tip: Get one of those estimates from your car dealer.
   • If you weren’t at fault and you need a rental car, the responsible party’s insurance company should provide you with a comparable car. Call and request it.
   • If your vehicle is a “total loss,” find out what the actual cash value of the car is. By this we don’t mean looking up similar cars in the local “for sale” ads. You’ll need to cast a wider net. You want to match make, model, year, mileage, equipment and condition of vehicle. Your claims adjustor is doing this separately using a huge database available to the insurance industry. Your goal here is to find out if your numbers and your claims adjustor’s numbers are in the same ballpark. If not, then he may have overlooked something and you’ll want to be able to tell him what.
3. Respect The Paperwork. Fill out all the claims submission documentation before you meet with the claims adjuster. If these documents haven’t yet been provided, call your car insurance company now. Most of these forms can be either sent by e-mail or downloaded off the carrier’s Web site. ChoiceAutoInsurance.com tip: Go through the documents with a representative from the car insurance company on the phone with you. Make notes on the forms in pencil, then complete them immediately after hanging up the phone.
   
   Ask the insurance company if the claims adjuster needs to inspect and appraise the damage to your vehicle, or if the carrier has a preferred shop where the appraisal and repair can be streamlined together. Take the time to fill out these claims forms carefully and completely. They represent money – your money — so give them the respect they deserve. Do not be timid about calling the insurance company with any follow up questions. Remember that they work for you.
4. Offer The Claims Adjuster Coffee. Now that you’re prepared, you should be able to relax. This is the key to having things go well. Policyholders who are tense and defensive give the impression that they’re hiding something or are trying to game the system. Claims adjusters are first and foremost human beings, and if they feel they are being gamed, they will respond with equal aggression. Remember no matter how prepared you are, you’ll never know their business as well as they do. Challenge them and you’ll lose. Instead, you’re far better off being honest and candid. Ask their opinion and allow them to help you. Your claims adjuster has a fiduciary responsibility to you, which means he is acting primarily in your interest. Let him do that, and chances are he will serve you well.