Dealing With Insurance Adjusters: What Not to Say

Insurance adjusters are trained to ask questions in a way that gets you to say things that reduce the value of your claim, even when they are being friendly and sympathetic on the phone. What you say in that first call can follow your case for months.

Things to Avoid Saying or Doing

• Do not say “I’m sorry” or anything that could be interpreted as accepting fault, even as a reflexive politeness.
• Do not give a recorded statement before speaking with an attorney, even if the adjuster says it is just routine.
• Do not say you are “fine” or downplay your injuries, since adjuster notes describing you as uninjured at the scene can be used against a later diagnosis.
• Do not guess or speculate about facts you are not sure of, such as speed or distance.
• Do not accept a quick settlement offer before you know the full extent of your injuries and treatment costs.
• Do not sign a blanket medical records authorization that gives the insurer access to your entire medical history, unrelated conditions included.
• Do not discuss the accident, your injuries, or your activities on social media while your claim is pending.

What Is Safe to Provide

You can typically provide basic facts: your name, contact information, the date, time, and location of the accident, and confirmation that a police report was filed. Beyond that, it is reasonable to tell an adjuster that you are consulting with an attorney and that further questions should go through them.

Multiple Adjusters, Multiple Calls

It’s common to hear from more than one adjuster after a car accident:

• One from the at-fault driver’s insurance company
• One from your own insurer handling your PIP claim

It’s easy to assume that because your own insurer is “on your side,” you can speak freely with them the way you would with a friend, but the same caution applies to both. Your own insurer still has a financial interest in limiting what it pays out under your policy. If you get repeated calls, voicemails, or requests to “just clarify a few details,” it’s reasonable to ask that all further communication go through your attorney instead of fielding call after call on your own.

Why Adjusters Ask the Questions They Do

Adjusters are not acting against you personally, but they are trained negotiators working for a company whose financial interest is paying out as little as possible. Recorded statements, quick settlement offers, and broad medical authorizations are all tools built to limit what the insurer eventually pays, not to help you get a fair result.