A car accident attorney on how insurance adjusters value your accident claim

The process of determining the value of a claim is a somewhat complicated matter. In fact, you may wonder if the adjuster’s appraisal is fair, since they have an interest in making sure your case doesn’t settle for a high amount. A car accident attorney will put his years of experience handling accident claims at your disposal when dealing with insurance adjusters. Your attorney can explain what factors the company uses to assign a dollar value to your injury.

legal fault

One of the most important facets of your case is determining who was at fault (responsible) for your injury. Your car accident attorney can discuss the law as it pertains to your accident. If you are even partially at fault for the accident, this can reduce the potential value of your case and will be reflected in the adjuster’s initial settlement offer, if you make one. Your car accident attorney knows this and will work to build a counterargument to overcome the adjuster’s concerns and potential defense objections.

mitigating factors

Your car accident attorney will also review the potential negatives related to the potential defendant in your case. These mitigating factors can reinforce the weaknesses in your case and make the defendant more willing to settle out of court. These factors could include previous court rulings against the defendant, negative publicity, pending criminal charges, pending investigations by OSHA or EPA against the defendant’s business, etc. In some cases, as your car accident attorney will advise, these factors may motivate the defendant to settle rather than draw negative attention to them through a court proceeding.

Factors Involving Your Car Accident Lawyer

Expect the insurance adjuster to also do their homework on your attorney. The adjuster will look at your attorney’s profit/loss history. He will also look at how many cases like yours his attorney has handled. The adjuster may make assumptions about your attorney’s willingness to settle, so you’ll want to make sure the attorney you choose is experienced.

external consultants

Your car accident attorney also knows that adjusters use outside valuation sources to price your claim. These may include other attorneys, a review of previous similar claims, or valuation software. Your attorney will deal with each one.

For further assistance in dealing with adjusters and processing your accident claim, contact an experienced car accident attorney who has the knowledge and experience to succeed in obtaining effective results.