I know how the mind of an insurance adjuster works. I’m not bragging. I worked in management for a major insurance company.
I toured the country training insurance adjusters and insurance defense lawyers. I know the inner workings of insurance companies, not only because I’ve opposed them for so many years, but because I was employed by one.
An insurance adjuster has a simple goal – minimize payout of claims. They know the games, how to delay, how to make you feel like you can trust them. But don’t. If you’ve been hurt because of someone else’s fault or negligence, keep this in mind – insurance companies are not on your side. This doesn’t necessarily make them wicked or immoral but it’s worth saying again – insurance companies are not on your side.
So let’s say you were injured in a car accident or truck accident. The accident was not your fault and now you have an insurance claim. In terms of an opponent, what would the insurance adjuster want? Ideally for the adjuster is if you were to handle your own claim. The adjuster, who has likely handled hundreds and thousands of claims, would be dealing directly with you, who probably never handled a claim. It would be like Scottie Pippen (the adjuster) playing one-on-one with an elderly lady (you). Game – Pippen.
The next best scenario for the adjuster is for you to hire a lawyer who does not focus his practice on personal injury cases.
If doing their jobs correctly, the insurance adjusters know who the skilled and experienced personal injury lawyers are. They will know if they are not dealing with one. It would be like Scottie Pippen (the adjuster) playing one-on-one with an average high school basketball player (your jack-of- all-trades lawyer). Game – Pippen.
The last thing an adjuster wants is for you to hire a lawyer who focuses his entire practice on handling personal injury cases.
A lawyer with a track record of success, a lawyer who has the highest possible peer review ratings, a lawyer who will say “no” to a good settlement and hold out for a great one, a guy who knows the ins and outs of the insurance industry. It is like Scottie Pippen (the adjuster) playing one-on-one with Michael Jordan (a top-tier injury lawyer). Game – Jordan.
