How do you negotiate an injury claim with an insurance adjuster?
You should avoid negotiating your own injury claim with an insurance adjuster.
But sometimes you must. Here’s what to do in those situations.
But sometimes you must. Here’s what to do in those situations.
Always operate with this belief in mind. You’ll get tempted to think otherwise because insurance adjusters are some of the nicest people you’ll ever meet.
They’re nice because they know you’re more likely to be cooperative and pursue less money if they act that way.
But in reality, they’re paid based on how little they get you to settle for, how fast they settle your claim, and if they keep your case out of their supervisor’s stressful, high case load.
Don’t buy the ruse. They’re the big bad wolf dressed like grandma – and you’re the delicious-looking little red riding hood.
Their first offer has one primary goal: to see if you’re a sucker or not.
They want you to get excited by the dollar value and say “we’ll accept” on the spot. They’ll also offer to get you the check within a week – maybe two, depending on how fast they can get in touch with the other party involved in your claim.
The first offer is always a low-ball. They might come back at you with some ridiculous reasons your settlement isn’t worth what you think.
Don’t buy into those. They’re just a negotiating tactic.
After this first offer, you’ll have a chance to respond. Lower your first offer, but only slightly, like 5% or so.
They’ll come back at this offer with a counteroffer – higher than their original. You may have to accept this offer, but you can certainly counteroffer as much as you’d like.
In Texas, you have 2 years to settle your claim. And that law takes effect from the date you are injured.
The insurance company will try to make the process fast and exciting so you get emotionally wrapped up in it. You’re more likely to make mistakes when you’re excited.
But, be happy to stall, delay, or dawdle as much as you want within that 2-year limit (within reason – don’t wait until your statute of limitations is about to run or a personal injury lawyer might not be willing to assist you if you need one).
It makes the insurance company realize you’re not going to bite on their lowball offers. And the more it drags out, the more time and money you cost them (and they don’t want that).
If you are in a situation where you realize legal counsel can help, give one a call. Until you sign the insurance company’s document acknowledging the case is settled, you have the option of retaining a lawyer for your personal injury.
And some happily give basic advice for free, which could improve the outcome of your settlement slightly.
You should especially get in touch with an injury attorney if:
In the last 3 years, we’ve made TopVerdict’s annual Texas “Top 50 Personal Injury Settlements” list 43 times.
According to TopVerdict.com, our Dallas attorneys consistently achieve some of the highest recoveries in the state of Texas. As a matter of fact, in the last three years we’ve made their “Texas Top 50 Personal Injury Settlements” list 43 times. For example, in 2021 one of our claims made the Top 10 list, eight made the Top 11-20 list, and ten made the Top 21-50 list. When you factor in our reduced 29% contingency fee, we are confident we will help you recover more. At Mullen & Mullen, we pride ourselves on routinely recovering full policy limits for our clients without the necessity of costly and time-consuming litigation.
We have access to state-of-the-art diagnostic technology through well-established relationships with medical doctors, surgeons, physical therapists, chiropractors, neurologists, counselors, and other healthcare providers in the entire DFW Metroplex. You receive the quality medical attention you need from local providers near where you live or work. These providers specialize in treating people hurt in accidents of all kinds and they know how to properly document injuries to meet the legal burden of proof in your personal injury case. These providers are also willing to delay billing collections until after your case is resolved so you can focus on recovering without additional stress. Physicians that don’t routinely treat accident victims as part of their practice usually turn away patients over fear of being involved in the legal process or fear of health insurance companies refusing to pay accident-related healthcare bills. Please call us at 214-747-5240 for a free consultation and some advice.
Even if you don’t have health insurance or can’t afford your deductible, Mullen & Mullen will secure you the quality healthcare and state-of-the art diagnostics you deserve with no upfront out of pocket costs.
Shane, Joseph and Regis have almost 100 years of combined experience practicing personal injury law. That doesn’t even include the combined experience of the attorneys that serve as of-counsel to Mullen & Mullen at no additional cost to our clients. Our firm continues to evolve, but we never forget our Core Values. We do the right thing, handle cases the way we would want our own case handled, and we truly listen to clients. We have over 40 years of local knowledge, and that matters!
Some lawyers forget that they represent the client, but we never have. Our legal team will make YOU the priority. You are the boss, and we will respond quickly to your requests for case updates and assistance. We guarantee that when you need to speak to your counsel, you will speak directly to your counsel, not to a paralegal or secretary, because that’s the way it should be.
Most firms hire an investigator to help develop evidence on your case and charge you back for that service. Our firm, however, has 2 full-time accident investigators on staff and we offer their services to you for free. This is another way we will maximize your compensation.
They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Video footage is worth a lot more. Our in-house videographer allows us to capture the true impact the accident has on your life beyond mere words on a piece of paper.
When necessary, Mullen & Mullen Law Firm uses cutting edge technology like 3D imaging videos to fully demonstrate the extent of our clients’ injuries to the insurance companies. This also helps maximize the value of your claim.
Mullen & Mullen’s attorneys live and work right here in Dallas, and always have. We believe in paying our success forward by helping people in the North Texas community, and are dedicated to supporting these local charities.
Our success rate speaks for itself. We consistently earn awards from TopVerdict.com for achieving the highest settlement amounts in Texas. In fact, no other law office made their 2021 Texas "Top 50" personal injury settlements list as many times as we did. We placed on it nineteen times in a single year.
You'll always be kept in the loop regarding the status of your case. Calls are answered promptly, and you can even text your dedicated legal team directly 24/7.
We'll make you feel like part of the family, not just another case. Our compassionate lawyers will take the time to listen to your story, comprehensively understand your unique circumstances, and we will tailor our legal strategies accordingly. Your best interests are at the forefront of everything we do.
Mullen & Mullen has been a mainstay in the North Texas community since 1983. Our attorneys are always willing to meet with injury victims face-to-face. You won’t be dealing with some call center hundreds of miles away or on the other side of the country (or world).
We won’t back down or be intimidated in any form or fashion. We will not allow insurance carriers to delay, deny, or minimize your claim. We never hesitate to recommend litigation if it is necessary to achieve a just outcome.
When you work with a big law firm, you'll most likely be assigned a case worker and may never even talk to your attorney. Our attorneys make themselves available and invest in your case personally.
Of course we only get paid when you do. And when we do, we discount our legal fees to 29% instead of the industry standard 33.3% for claims that settle without litigation.
It's not just the hundreds of 5-star reviews that we've earned, but the things that our clients say. Read our reviews and you'll quickly see that we put passion into our work.
The Mullen & Mullen family is here to address your concerns and make the path to recovery smooth. There are no fees to get started and you pay $0 if we don’t settle your case.
Copyright © 2024 Mullen & Mullen Law Firm. All Rights Reserved.
LICENSED BY THE STATES OF TEXAS & MISSOURI FOR THE GENERAL PRACTICE OF LAW. The information on this website is not intended to be legal advice. That can only come from a qualified personal injury lawyer who is familiar with all the circumstances and facts of your specific case and the law relevant to it.
