Dealing With Insurance Adjusters After a Saginaw Crash
Short answer: An adjuster's job is to resolve the claim for the insurer, as cheaply as possible. Decline a recorded statement to the other driver's insurer, don't sign releases or authorizations without a lawyer, and don't accept a fast offer before you know the extent of your injuries.
Do
- Report the crash to your own insurer promptly. Most policies require it.
- Give the other insurer only basic facts: your name, the date and place.
- Ask for everything in writing.
- Keep a log of every call: date, name, what was said.
Don't
- Give the other driver's insurer a recorded statement. You don't have to.
- Guess about fault. Under §33.001, more than 50% fault means no recovery.
- Describe your injuries as minor before you've been examined.
- Sign a release, settlement or medical authorization before a lawyer reviews it. A release usually ends the injury claim for good.
About fast offers
We see quick offers as a sign the insurer wants to close things before delayed injuries show up. The check can look good in week one and be far too small by month three.
"A lawyer will just take your money"
Some adjusters say this. Here's what the research behind it does and doesn't show. Back to all insurance guides.
Questions after a Saginaw wreck?
A participating personal injury firm can review your situation for free. It takes about two minutes to ask, wherever in Texas the crash happened.