Can Insurance Adjusters Tell How Old the Damage Is?

Most people buy auto insurance to help them in their time of need, especially after an accident. These individuals assume that by having this insurance coverage, they will be able to recover all the expenses they sustained after a crash. However, this is not how insurance companies work.

The insurance company’s goal is to provide you with repair damage and coverage while offering you the least amount of money possible after an accident. This is because offering you less money after a crash while continuing to receive insurance premiums is how these insurance companies make money. Consequently, insurance adjusters will try to do anything they can to make sure your payout stays low, including dismissing your vehicle’s damages as unrelated to the accident or labeling the damages as old and not as a result of the crash.

However, this assessment is not always accurate, and unfortunately, it can affect the amount of money you can receive from the insurance company. Here’s why.

What Does an Insurance Adjuster Do?

Insurance adjusters are in charge of evaluating insurance claims. They are also responsible for assessing the damage to a vehicle to figure out how much the insurance company should pay you for your losses.

Due to their experience and training, many insurance adjusters can figure out which damages on your motor vehicle are old and which ones are new and a result of the accident. However, to come to these conclusions, these adjusters will use numerous tactics, including visually inspecting your car themselves or requesting an estimate from a certified repair shop to get further information about the extent of your damages.

After they get this information, the adjuster will determine if you should receive money for the accident and how much this amount will be. They will also provide you with further details regarding your next steps.

What Do These Insurance Adjusters Look For Following a Motor Vehicle Accident?

Insurance companies do not want to pay you for damages that have previously existed on your motor vehicle. They will only pay for damages that occurred because of the accident in question. For these reasons, these companies train their insurance adjusters to identify fraud. This fraud usually refers to a claimant trying to claim previous damages on their current accident claim.

Insurance fraud by other individuals is known to raise everyone’s insurance premiums. As a result, this fraud training can have its benefits. However, if you file an insurance claim, this training can decrease the money you receive, especially if the insurance adjuster refuses to include all your current damages in their inspection report because they incorrectly suspect that the damage to your vehicle is not new.

What Documents Do the Insurance Adjusters Use to Assess Your Damages After a Car Collision?

To determine the extent of your damages and verify which damages to your car are new, insurance adjusters will often try to obtain accident reports, police notes, photos of the accident, and interviews with other drivers and witnesses to figure out the circumstances of the accident. They will also use this evidence to determine fault for the crash, figure out if you were in any way responsible for the collision, and conclude what damage to your car occurred because of the accident.

What Steps Do The Insurance Adjusters Take To Figure out Your Damages After a Car Accident?

Before the insurance adjusters show up to perform an inspection on your vehicle, they will likely check the car’s history to verify if it has a history of accidents, has been totaled in the past, or sold as junk. These adjusters are trained to find “title washing” or re-titling, especially since junk cars can be a good investment opportunity for many individuals.

Next, the insurance adjuster will usually perform a hands-on inspection of your vehicle. During this part of the investigation, the insurance adjuster will closely check all the areas of your car where the damage has occurred. However, they will also watch for evidence of sanding, rust, and mismatched paint, as these details can all signal old repairs and damage.

These adjusters will also look for signs that the motor vehicle has a dark history, including signs of electrical system frailties or mismatched upholstery, which is often found on automobiles damaged by floodwater. The adjusters check for these signs because they want to catch those who may have accidentally bought a vehicle damaged by a flood and are trying to pass along their losses to the insurance company by attempting to stage a fake collision and file a claim to get their money back.

What Should You Tell the Insurance Adjuster After an Accident?

As mentioned previously, insurance adjusters are looking for anything they can to justify paying you less for your damage or denying your claim altogether. For these reasons, when these insurance adjusters call you after an accident, you need to make sure you watch what you say. During this initial phone call, you will want to avoid making any definitive statements about the accident, admitting that the crash was your fault, or providing too many details about the collision. The insurance company can use these comments against you, ultimately hurting your case and diminishing the money you receive.

That is why to avoid this issue altogether, it is often recommended that you do not speak to an adjuster after your accident or provide them with a recorded statement, even when they claim you have to. Instead, you should reach out to an experienced car accident attorney as soon as possible and tell these insurance companies that your attorney will handle all conversations going forward. After these lawyers take over these discussions on your behalf, they can ensure that you do not say anything that can impact your case.

Should You Accept a Settlement Offer From the Insurance Company?

After the insurance adjuster goes over your accident and reviews your damages, they may offer you a settlement. However, although it may seem like a no-brainer to accept this money, it is not always in your best interest to do so. This is because these insurance companies will often try to offer you a meager settlement amount that barely covers any of your current costs, let alone your ongoing care. They usually provide you with this offer as quickly as possible after your accident in hopes you do not verify whether this amount is fair or discuss the settlement offer with an experienced car accident attorney.

Yet, once you accept the settlement, you cannot ask for more money from the insurance company down the line. Even if you discover you have further expenses that are the result of the original accident.

That is why before you verbally accept any settlement offer from the adjuster, you will want to request that the offer is put into writing and let them know you will not accept any amount until your medical treatments have been completed and you have spoken with an attorney about the proposed offer.

This can ensure that you better understand the extent of the medical treatments you will need in the future and the costs that will need to be covered by the settlement offer. Plus, working with a skilled car accident attorney can help verify that the settlement amount offered by the insurer is fair to you. If it is not, these lawyers can head back to the negotiation table with the insurance company and fight for an amount that is.

Are There Things You Can Do After an Accident That Can Help You Get the Money You Need From the Insurance Company

Although the last thing you want to do after a motor vehicle accident is worry about what steps you need to take after the crash, you need to realize that these steps can not only help protect your health and safety but your legal rights as well. For these reasons, after a motor vehicle accident, you should consider doing the following:

Contact the Police Immediately

After an accident, it is a good idea to immediately call 911. This is the fastest way to get your crash on record, notify the police of the accident, and alert emergency medical personnel that you or someone at the scene needs medical assistance.

Once the police arrive, they can investigate the crash and write down their findings in their police report. If you decide to pursue a legal claim following your accident, this report can provide you with valuable information regarding what happened and serve as helpful evidence if the insurance company tries to state that certain damages were not the result of the accident.

Gather Evidence from the Crash

If it is safe for you to do so, you will also want to gather evidence from the accident scene. This evidence should include pictures and videos of the vehicles involved, the damages to your car, traffic signals near the area, skid marks on the road, and any other evidence that can help show what happened. This type of physical evidence can often serve as an objective reference to verify your version of what happened and show the extent of damages you sustained.

Look for Witnesses At the Accident Scene

Right after an accident, you want to check if any witnesses saw what happened. Witnesses can often provide you with further information regarding the accident, and their statements can also substantiate your claim—helping to prove that the damages your vehicle endured were the result of the accident and not old damages, as the insurance company may argue.

After an Accident, Get the Financial Recovery You Deserve, Reach out to an Experienced Car Accident Attorney Today

You already have enough going on after a car crash. The last thing you want to worry about is the insurance adjuster claiming that the damage to your car after an accident is not a result of the accident. Fortunately, when you work with an experienced car accident lawyer, you will not have to deal with these insurance adjusters on your own. These attorneys can take on the insurance company’s deceitful practices, provide you with the legal help you need to tackle this claim, and fight for the financial damages you deserve.

To do this, these lawyers can:

• Go over your accident with you in detail, evaluate your claim, and figure out if you have a viable case.
• Determine what legal options you have and figure out which ones you should pursue.
• Investigate the accident and secure the evidence needed to show not only what happened and who was at fault for the collision but that the damage to your car was the result of the accident.
• Bring in experts such as accident reconstructionists who can substantiate your claim.
• Properly prepare and file legal motions and documents before time expires.
• Take on these insurance adjusters and make sure to go after the fair settlement offer you need.
• Head to trial if the other side is unwilling to negotiate fairly and fight for maximum compensation.

If you are in a battle with the insurance company, do not wait any longer to get the legal help you need. Instead, contact an experienced car accident lawyer today for a free case evaluation and let these attorneys help you go after the financial recovery you deserve.