If you have been involved in an automobile accident where the other driver was at fault, you will soon receive a call or letter from their insurance company. The insurance adjuster will likely apologize for the accident, ask how you are doing, and request that you forward medical documentation for their review. You may even receive a promise that you will be taken care of; after all, you are in good hands, or they are a good neighbor or something along those lines. Once your treatment concludes, the adjuster will likely make an offer based on the total amount of your “special damages.” Adjusters commonly use this phrase to mean your medical and pharmaceutical expenses and any lost wages.
One of the many problems with insurance adjusters’ determinations of special damages is that they often refuse to pay for your medical expenses without any medical justification. For instance, an adjuster may say that, in their opinion, you sought chiropractic care for too long or that you underwent an unnecessary surgery. The adjuster may even opine that your surgery was unrelated to the accident, even when your surgeons say otherwise. These actions are often nothing more than bad faith attempts to force you to settle for less than is reasonable. You have the right to hold the insurer responsible and should do so by contacting a car accident lawyer.
Another area where insurance adjusters tend to take advantage of claimants is with lost wages claims. In particular, adjusters are often unwilling to account for lost vacation or annual time when a person is a salaried employee. Even if you continue to be paid during your period of disability, you are entitled to compensation for missing work.
Contact a Personal Injury Attorney
Ultimately, whether to take a settlement offer should be something you discuss with an attorney. The insurance adjuster’s job is to look out for the insurer’s best interests, not yours. They are entirely adverse to you, and it is best to have an advocate on your side. Our firm offers contingency fee arrangements so that you pay no attorneys’ fees unless we recover on your behalf. We regularly represent clients across the Carolinas from our Charlotte, Raleigh, and Fayetteville offices. Contact us today for your free consultation.
