After a car wreck in St. Louis, the phone call from the other driver’s insurance adjuster usually comes fast. The caller sounds nice, asks how you are feeling, and promises to help handle everything smoothly. It feels easy to just talk with them directly, but dealing with insurance adjusters on your own can be a huge trap.
Insurance Adjusters Work for the Insurance Company
It helps to remember one main fact: insurance adjusters do not work for you. They work for a large company whose main goal is saving money. Every dollar they pay you in a settlement comes directly out of their profits. Their job is to find reasons to deny your claim or pay you as little money as possible.
Tricky Recorded Questions
One of the first things an adjuster asks is to record your phone call. They tell you it is standard routine for their files. During the call, they ask casual questions designed to trip you up. Saying a simple phrase like “I am feeling okay today” can be used against you weeks later to argue that your injuries were not serious.
Getting You to Accept a Small Quick Settlement
Insurance companies like to make quick settlement offers right after a crash. They know you might be worried about missing work paychecks or paying for a rental car. They offer a small check, usually a few hundred or thousand dollars, if you sign a settlement release paper immediately. If you sign that paper and discover later that you need a costly neck surgery, you cannot ask for any more money.
Using Your Past Medical History Against You
Adjusters often ask you to sign forms granting them full access to your medical history. If you sign without checking, they dig through your old medical records from years ago. If you ever visited a doctor for back or neck pain in the past, they will claim your current accident pain is just an old problem, not caused by the crash.
Let a Lawyer Handle the Communications
When you hire an attorney, they take over all phone calls, emails, and paperwork with the insurance adjusters. This keeps you from making mistakes that lower your claim value and lets you focus on getting better. If you want to protect your claim, connect with a dedicated St. Louis Car Accident Lawyer right away.