If you have filed a personal injury claim, you may be asked to negotiation on it. This means that the defendant and those representing the defendant, wants to sit down with you and talk about a deal that you both would agree on that would give you what you need at a price that the defendant could afford. In many cases, the insurance adjuster will also be there to assist in coming up with a number that meets the standards of the deal. When you are negotiating, the defendant should never know the bottom dollar you are willing to accept and the plaintiff should never know the highest number the defendant is willing to pay out. You should come to the negotiation prepared with the exact amount you must have in order to keep the claim out of court.

The insurance adjuster, if present, will go over your claim, noting everything that is wrong with it. For example, he may find a little doubt in your statement as to who is at fault or the physical therapy you need paid for seems a little to excessive.

Negotiations with the Adjuster

If the insurance adjuster is present, he or she has the right to ask you questions at any time and they can also dispute any fact that you may bring up in order to restrict the amount you are asking for.

You should never feel intimidated by the insurance adjuster. Remain calm and always answer their reasonable questions or inquiries they may make with reasonable answers. In some cases, questions and arguments that are brought up by the insurance adjuster may not be legitimate and they could be considered unfair ways to get the case settled out of court for a lower price.

Keys to Successful Injury Claim Negotiation

During negotiations, it’s important that your Personal Injury Lawyers in Fredericton are prepared and ready. It’s their job to make sure you don’t get the amount you are asking for, so you need to remember these tips:

Tip #1: Come to the meeting organized. Make notes while in the meeting, including questions or conversations you have with the adjuster. If the adjuster advises that you said that you would take care of something or have something completed by a certain date, be sure to request a confirming letter afterwards to follow up with what was said. Make sure you keep a copy for yourself.

Tip #2: It may be difficult to do, it’s important that you remain patient. You are the one that has medical bills and other expenses being brought up to you everyday but you need to find a way to be patient in order to avoid settling in haste.

Tip #3: Be persistent. You don’t want to let your claim sit idle for too long. Always hold the adjuster accountable for any agreements they agree to while in negotiations. Follow up with the adjusters after the negotiation by letter or email. In the letter or email, sum up what you went over and what was agreed upon. Don’t aggravate them by writing/calling every day.

Tip #4: Be straightforward at all times. Insurance adjusters are ready to close the case as soon as it opens. They don’t need to be threatened but they do need the straightforward answers and comments that are relevant to the case. You want to remain calm and straightforward at all times.