11 Questions to Ask the Insurance Adjuster Before You Sign Anything

The first thing the insurance company may want you to do after a motorcycle or car accident is to sign a release and submit to a recorded statement.

Here are 11 questions you should ask the adjuster before you sign anything:

1. Ask the insurance company to put in writing the fact that the accident was not your fault and was actually the fault of their insured driver. If they are not willing to do this, it is because they plan to argue later that it was your fault, either in whole or in part.
2. Ask the insurance company for a copy of their insured’s insurance policy, declaration sheet, or something in writing to tell you the policy limits of their insured. In other words, the amount of money that they have available to pay your claim. 
3. Ask the insurance company for a copy of their insured’s recorded statement. Most of the time, they will have already taken your recorded statement. If they haven’t yet, they will try to obtain it. Most insurance companies will take your statement, but they will refuse to let you see or get a copy of the statement taken from their own insured.
4. Some insurance companies will ask you to sign a medical release, so they can collect all of your medical records. Most medical releases are written so broadly that it allows the insurance company the right and privilege to talk to any of your doctors and to get any of your records, even if the records do not pertain to the injury you suffered. Medical releases allow the insurance company to get your medical records all the way back to your birth if they want. Ask the insurance company to restrict the medical release to records pertaining to the accident and see what happens.
5. Ask the insurance company for copies of any statements they have taken from any person who witnessed the accident and your injury. 
6. Ask the insurance company about secondary insurance coverage and if there is an excess policy. 
7. Ask the insurance company for a copy of any medical information or personal information they have obtained about you through computer databases or other sources. 
8. Ask the insurance company if they have obtained any kind of credit information or debt information about you. Some insurance companies know how much money you owe, to whom, and when your next payments are due. They can find out if you are late on your payments and use this information against you. 
9. Ask the insurance company if they have canvassed your neighborhood asking questions about you and if so, ask who they have talked to and ask for copies of the statements and information collected.
10. Ask the insurance company if they have conducted any surveillance or investigation on you and then request a copy of any films or photographs or investigative reports they have obtained regarding your injury or you.
11. Ask the insurance company for the amount of the reserve they have set for your case. The reserve is the amount that they believe they owe you. Instead of just paying you the reserve, they would prefer to offer you less and hope you will take it.

If you have been injured in an accident, it is important to contact an experienced personal injury attorney as soon as possible. 

The attorneys at Wyly Cook Injury & Insurance Lawyers can help you determine the value of your claim and guide you through the legal process of pursuing your claim. Contact us today for a free consultation by calling 713-236-8330.