Some insurance adjusters make a habit of coming forward with a low-ball offer, when making an initial bid. Smart claimants should know how to respond to such an illogical and unfair action.
Improper responses
• Issue an emotional response, by showing anger or annoyance
• Accept the ridiculously low offer
Proper action
Respond in writing: Compose a letter, and include in it some questions. For instance, one question might be this one: What were your reasons for making such a low bid. The letter could be even more powerful, if it included, as well, some mention of the claimant’s pain and suffering.
How would a claimant get an answer to any of the letter’s questions? Adjusters are very busy, so any answers to the letter’s questions would probably not come in writing.
Adjusters do feel comfortable using the phone. Hence, an answer should be requested during the claimant’s next phone conversation with the adjuster, as per personal injury lawyer in Aurora.
What sort of explanation might the adjuster give, during that same phone conversation?
—The adjuster’s answer might indicate a need for more information, regarding the injury and the prescribed treatment. If that were the nature of the answer, then the claimant should provide the adjuster with that added information.
—The adjuster’s answer might suggest eagerness on the part of the insurance company for acceptance of the low bid. If it were obvious that the bid had represented an attempt to get such an acceptance, then the claimant would need to carry out a different action.
What should that alternate action be? It should entail composition of yet another letter. That letter should spell out the details of a reasonable counteroffer. Such a counteroffer would need to be quite a bit higher than the adjuster’s initial bid. Still, it should not be so high that the chances for receipt of a more reasonable offer from the adjuster could be close to zero.
What qualities of the claimant could be shown by performance of the proper action?
The composition of more than one letter would demonstrate the claimant’s persistence. Adjusters respond well to a demonstration of persistence. Their experience has taught them to acknowledge the efforts of a persistent claimant.
The absence of any appearance of anger or annoyance would demonstrate patience. Adjusters’ experience has taught them how to deal with claimants’ patience. That same experience has taught them to deal fairly with such patient men and women.
A combination of patience and persistence helps to ensure the achievement of a fair settlement. That is the case during any stage of the negotiation process. A claimant’s ability to show that combination of qualities ought to keep the negotiations moving toward an ultimate, and hopefully, a decidedly fair conclusion.
