Tips for the First Call With an Adjuster After an Accident

What to say (and what to avoid) when the at-fault party's insurance company contacts you after an accident.

By , J.D. · University of San Francisco School of Law

In the days after a car accident or any kind of incident that causes injury, you may get a call from an insurance adjuster whose company insures someone else involved in the accident.

Let's look at when and how an adjuster might contact you, what you should say, and what you should avoid discussing—especially if you think the other party is at fault for the accident.

When and How the Insurance Adjuster Will Contact You

The first contact from the other side's insurance company might come as soon as the first few days after the incident that led to the injury, but it will almost certainly come in the first few weeks. As we'll discuss below, one of the adjuster's goals here in this first contact is to get you to accept a quick settlement offer, before you even understand what your injury claim might be worth. So the adjuster won't wait long.

Why do adjusters prefer phone calls? There are a few reasons:

  • The adjuster might think a live call will give them a sense of how comfortable you are with the injury claim process, including how likely you are to fight for a fair result.
  • The adjuster might use a live call to try to get you to say something about the accident or your injuries that could hurt your claim, or that might be difficult to walk back later on.
  • The adjuster might take the opportunity to pressure you into accepting a too-early (and too-low) settlement offer, often before you even have a sense of the nature and extent of your injuries.

Tips for Talking With the Other Side's Insurance Company

The number one thing to remember is that at every moment of every interaction, the insurance adjuster has their company's best interest in mind, not yours. Their objective is to get you to accept the lowest amount of money possible in the shortest amount of time. That's the main thing to keep in mind when communicating with the adjuster, and the following tips flow out from there.

Remain Calm and Polite

Although you may still be angry about the accident and your injuries, taking out your anger on the insurance adjuster won't help you get a fair personal injury settlement. You may not know exactly how or when an insurance adjuster's goodwill may pay off—in promptly handling your claim, or in believing your version of an issue that's difficult to prove—so it's always best to keep your cool and stay professional.

Identify the Person You Speak With

Before you discuss anything, get the name, phone number, and email address of the person you're speaking with, the name of the insurance company they're with, and the name of the person or business the company insures.

Give Only Limited Personal Information

You need only tell the insurance adjuster the basics like your full name, address, and phone number. You can also tell them what type of work you do and where you are employed. But at this point, you need not explain or discuss anything else about your work, your schedule, your income, your medical/injury history, or anything else.

Give No Details of the Accident

Insurance adjusters or other representatives may try to get you to "give a statement" about how the accident happened. Or they may simply engage you in conversation during which they will subtly try to get you to tell them about the accident.

Politely refuse to discuss any of the facts except the most basic: where, when, the type of accident, the vehicles involved if it was a traffic accident, and the identity of any witnesses. Say that your investigation of the accident is still continuing and that you will discuss the facts further "at the appropriate time." Later, you will probably be sending a personal injury demand letter in which you will describe the accident in detail.

Give No Details of Your Injuries

Naturally enough, an insurance adjuster is going to want to know about the nature and extent of your injuries. Do not give a detailed description yet. You might leave something out, or discover an injury later, or your injury may turn out to be worse than you originally thought. If you need to say something, just tell the adjuster that you are "still treating," and leave it at that. Learn more about how your medical treatment affects the value of your personal injury case.

Take Notes

As soon as your conversation is over, write down all the information you received over the phone, as well as whatever information you gave to (or requests you made of) the person with whom you spoke.

Resist the Push to Settle Immediately

Insurance adjusters sometimes offer a settlement during the first one or two phone calls. Quick settlements like that save the insurance company work. More importantly, they get you to settle for a small amount before you fully understand what your injuries are and how much your personal injury claim is worth. Don't take the bait. Collecting a settlement may seem like a quick way to get compensation without having to go through the claims process, and the money may be tempting, but you'll almost certainly be short-changing yourself in the long run.

Set Limits on Conversations

In your first contact with an insurance adjuster, make it clear that you will not be discussing much on the phone. Not only should you give very limited information in this first phone call, as discussed above, but you should also set clear limits on any further phone contact.

There are good reasons to limit your phone conversations with insurance adjusters. Some will call frequently in an attempt to get you to settle quickly, and they can become a real nuisance. It's good to nip this in the bud.

More important, until you have had a full opportunity to investigate and think about the accident, and to determine the extent of your injuries and other losses (these are your "damages" in legalese), you will not have accurate information to give. And if you give incomplete or inaccurate information on the phone, the insurance company may try to make you stick to it later on.

Refuse to Give Recorded Statements

Many claims adjusters immediately push you to give a tape-recorded statement, or casually ask if they may record your phone conversation, claiming it will protect you later. Do not agree to have any conversation recorded. You have no legal obligation to be recorded, and it is against the law for an adjuster to record you without your permission.

The reason you should refuse is that most people tense up when they know they are being recorded, and they may forget to say important things or could describe things clumsily or incompletely. A verbal statement or conversation is almost never as precise and thorough as the written correspondence you will later send the insurance company. Also, recordings take on far more importance than they deserve as evidence of what happened. It can be nearly impossible later to correct or expand on what you have said in a recording.

Politely but firmly decline an adjuster's request to record your statements. Tell the adjuster that you're not comfortable with any kind of recording, and that when you're ready, you'll provide all necessary information in writing.

Getting Help After an Accident

If you've been injured in any kind of accident, you might not always feel up to battling it out with the other side's insurance adjuster. That's especially true if you're still recovering from significant injuries, and things are getting contentious.

A personal injury attorney won't be intimidated by an adjuster's tactics and will make sure every angle of your injury claim is presented in the best possible light, to ensure a fair result. Learn more about how a personal injury lawyer works for you, and get tips on finding the right lawyer for you and your case. And if you're ready to discuss your situation with an attorney now, you can use the features right on this page to connect with a personal injury lawyer in your area.

For in-depth information on every stage in a personal injury case, get the book How to Win Your Personal Injury Claim (from which this article was adapted) by Attorney Joseph Matthews (Nolo).

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