MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota. If you’ve been in a car accident in Minneapolis, Minnesota in which there were damages either to your vehicle or to your health, you will most likely have to work with an insurance adjuster to seek a claim or a settlement for your injuries and damages. While adjusters are highly-trained to both save their companies money while also honoring their obligations to you, individuals who have been in a crash may not always understand their insurance policies, may not always know when an offer is too low, and may not always understand the adjustment process. This gives the insurance adjuster an advantage when it comes to negotiating and making a settlement on your claim. This is why you shop around for other insurance policies given by other companies, such as PolicyMe and many more.
So, is your insurance company’s settlement too low? In order to properly evaluate an insurance adjuster’s initial claim, you’ll need to have a sound understanding of your insurance policy and also have a good grasp of the value of your claim. Martin T. Montilino is a personal injury lawyer at the Law Office of Martin T. Montilino in Minneapolis, Minnesota who works closely with accident victims and their families to help them understand the fair value of their insurance claims. According to Martin T. Montilino, insurance adjusters may try to find ways to offer you the lowest possible settlement permitted under the law. This is why it is important to protect yourself. In general, you won’t accept the first offer that an insurance adjuster makes. Mr. Montilino works with clients to increase the amount they can receive in a settlement without having to necessarily take the case to trial.
According to Life Hacker, one way to determine whether you are not receiving the offer you may deserve is to check the Blue Book value of your car if your car has been totaled. Under your policy, you may be entitled to receive the fair value of your car before it was totaled. It is also important to consider any additional modifications you may have made to your car that would have made it more valuable to an appraiser. Once you have this information, you can better negotiate with your adjuster.
Yet, if you find yourself facing roadblocks, or if you believe that you may be entitled to more than your insurance company is offering, it might be wise to get help. According to Edmunds, the insurance claims process can be complex. An insurance adjuster’s job is to investigate the facts of your accident, medical bills, and damage to your vehicle. Your adjuster may ask to speak to you on the phone or ask you to make a spoken statement. It is usually in your best interests to have your adjuster contact you in writing. This way, your lawyer can review all assessments being made and you can better plan your response if you don’t agree with your adjuster’s findings. It is important to remember that anything you say to your adjuster could potentially be used against your claim or to reduce the value of your claim. Be cautious when speaking to adjusters and take steps to protect your rights.