Claims Adjusters Tips for Handling Your Crash Claim

What type of Damages can I receive on a car accident claim?

Have you been involved in a car accident? Aside from car accident attorneys, claims adjusters are also very important. They are the ones who are usually responsible for handling the valuation of your crash claim. Adjusters will often work off of a set database that a variety of professionals have come together to build. That creates this image that the claim evaluation is reliable, but often these values are outdated or don’t directly address your situation. They estimate what your repairs should cost, and sometimes it’s accurate. Other times, it’s not.

For most people, property damage isn’t the issue. Repair shops will often work within the confines of the insurance payment or handle that issue themselves. They understand that you only expect to pay your deductible. However, medical damages are often misrepresented in insurance claims resolution, and people are left with mountains of bills.

Evaluate Your Damage Independently

When it comes to property damage, you will need to specifically look at your car’s value (before and after the crash), and the estimated cost of repairs. It can be a challenge to do this if it looks like your car will register as a total loss. However, when you’re evaluating the damage of your claim independently, you can adjust for a total loss.

When evaluating the total loss, most insurance companies will pay the “book” value at most. You will never receive more than blue book value, but you also shouldn’t expect to receive full book value without a battle. Most insurance companies will pay about 75% of book value for a vehicle.

Knowing the evaluation of your car’s value can drastically change your claim. For example, you could easily argue that if your car were pieced off that the value of the parts is worth more than the car in its whole state.

If it’s possible, have a local mechanic that is not affiliated directly with the insurance provider to provide a repairs estimate.

Understand the Differences in Costs and Charges

The costs and charges that an adjuster will estimate could vary drastically from what you have to handle at the end of the day. For many, this is shocking, but experienced adjusters will always know from the start that the costs they receive and the charges normal individuals receive are drastically different.

How this works is that you may receive a bill from a medical network for say, $8,500. That included a night in the hospital and diagnostic testing. However, the costs negotiated with an insurance company are much different. The different costs happen because medical networks and insurance companies will usually negotiate the charges to much lower levels.

Although it should be easy to get compensation for medical bills, the exact amount is hard to pin down. Additionally, there’s the challenge of not receiving bills after the claims settle for other outstanding elements of medical care.

Bring Up Your Estimates and Charges During Negotiations

As you begin to enter into settlement negotiations, you’ll want to have a clear outline of what your medical network wants to charge you. They may receive a drastically different figure, but they aren’t going to discuss that outright until you start talking about your charges. Usually, this isn’t something sorted through unless the victim starts talking dollar amounts first.

Additionally, negotiations are the time to talk about your repair estimate and the exact value of your car. One of the great opportunities that arise during negotiations is the ability to talk about value. Negotiations will likely not result in you getting everything you want, but it should definitely cover all of your damages for medical charges and the damage to your property. You can fight the use of generalized calculations that don’t include elements such as pain and suffering or emotional distress.

Discuss Resolution with Your Car Accident Attorney in Atlanta

Perhaps the absolute best tip, although one an adjuster would probably not be allowed to advise it to get an attorney. Atlanta car accident lawyers aid victims of crashes with resolutions when it comes to handling evaluations with damages and values, especially regarding medical debt. Any type of property damage and medical expenses that arise from a car crash should receive coverage.

Unfortunately, coverage of a crash and the crash claim itself can be extremely difficult. Insurance companies use appraisers and adjusters to help reduce the value of the claim while creating this veil that they’re completely honest about the value of the claim. At The Weinstein Firm, we’ve seen this all too often. These tips come from actually concerned adjusters, and you should discuss your plans to determine your own costs with a skilled, local attorney.

Latest Posts

The Financial Consequences of Truck Accidents for Victims
Left-Turn Accidents: Avoiding Common Mistakes and Protecting Yourself
What Are the Most Common Truck Accident Injuries?
Who Can Be Held Liable in Truck Accident Cases in Georgia?
Get the compensation
you deserve $$$

Local Auto Accidents

  • Atlanta
  • Conyers
  • Decatur
  • Kennesaw
  • Lawrenceville
  • Morrow
  • Watkinsville

Atlanta traffic: All lanes blocked on I 85 South Gwinnett County  11Alive.com WXIA [...]

3 dead, 1 ‘critically injured’ after car crash, Gwinnett County police say  WSB Atlanta [...]

2 killed in multi-vehicle crash on I-75 NB in Cobb County identified, police say  Atlanta News First [...]

2 killed in deadly I-75 multi-car crash near South Marietta Parkway  FOX 5 Atlanta [...]

Crash on 400 after driver leads chase in Forsyth County  11Alive.com WXIA [...]

1 dead after Decatur County wreck  WALB [...]

2 killed in multi-car crash in DeKalb County  WSB Atlanta [...]

Police allege that Lakeside High student was driving under influence before fatal crash  Atlanta News First [...]

Police allege that Lakeside High student was driving under influence before fatal crash  Decaturish.com [...]

Lakeside High student dies following crash in Oak Grove community  Decaturish.com [...]

Athens man killed in vehicle vs pedestrian accident on Commerce Road  WGAU [...]

Watkinsville man killed following truck crash on Commerce Road  Online Athens [...]

Truck driver killed, 3 others injured in related traffic accidents, Athens police say  Atlanta News First [...]

Daniel Thomas “Danny” Roland  Now Habersham [...]

Oconee Blotter: Car break-ins reported, guns, cash, computer stolen  Online Athens [...]

Georgia state trooper dies in the line of duty  WFXG [...]

Best Personal Injury Lawyers in Atlanta, GA Of 2024 – Forbes Advisor  Forbes [...]

Construction worker killed by vehicle in I-75 crash in Clayton County  FOX 5 Atlanta [...]

State trooper dies from being hit by a vehicle while investigating a construction worker’s interstate death  WTOC [...]

Georgia Personal Injury Attorneys - Kenneth S. Nugent, P.C.  Attorney Ken Nugent [...]

I 75 North traffic near Kennesaw slowed vehicle fire  11Alive.com WXIA [...]

19-year-old motorcyclist killed in crash; speed likely a factor, Cobb County police say  WSB Atlanta [...]

18-year-old celebrating birthday among 2 killed in crash. Driver now charged, GA cops say  Miami Herald [...]

40-year-old deputy dies in head-on crash while responding to call, Georgia troopers say  Miami Herald [...]

Serious Injuries Reported in Kennesaw Car Crash, Baker Road Shut Down for Investigation  Hoodline [...]

4 Dead, At Least 3 Injured In 2 Gwinnett Co. Crashes  Patch [...]

1 driver fighting for life after Grayson Highway wreck shut down roadway for hours  FOX 5 Atlanta [...]

Driver hospitalized with serious injuries in multi-vehicle crash in Lawrenceville, police say  Atlanta News First [...]

Busy road in Lawrenceville closed after accident involving several vehicles  11Alive.com WXIA [...]

Crash on State Route 20 in Lawrenceville  11Alive.com WXIA [...]

Who Has the Cheapest Car Insurance Quotes in Georgia in 2024?  ValuePenguin [...]

Conyers police officer released from hospital after being injured during chase  FOX 5 Atlanta [...]

Conyers officer discharged from hospital after injury in chase, crash, police say  WSB Atlanta [...]

Cobb I-20 E Crash Involving Tractor-Trailer Kills Conyers Man  Patch [...]

Man killed in I-20 crash involving tractor-trailer identified  Atlanta News First [...]

Free Case Review
Weinstein law firm logo
Let's get started with your FREE consultation