The Role of the Insurance Adjuster

Throughout the duration of your personal injury case, you and your New Jersey personal injury lawyer will work closely with the defendant’s insurance adjuster. This person works as a liaison between the plaintiff, the defendant and the insurance company involved. The adjuster will perform the bulk of the investigative work into the accident and will participate in most of the settlement negotiations. Adjusters are authorized to bind the company to a settlement agreement, but are given strict limitations.

Evaluating Medical Bills

One way the adjuster will evaluate the claim is by reviewing past medical bills. The higher your medical bills, the more your case is worth, unless the adjuster determines that evidence exists to suggest you are exaggerating your injuries in an effort to raise medical bills higher than necessary. One way to avoid this suspicion is to locate a treating physician yourself instead of through your New Jersey personal injury lawyer. This will seem more legitimate in the eyes of the adjuster. If you are able to receive care from a treating physician with whom you already have a relationship, even better.

Future Medical Bills

The adjuster may also consider the likelihood that you will suffer from the ramifications of this injury for many years to come. Your treating physician should provide his professional opinion as to your likely prognosis.

Past Wages

The adjuster will also review your lost wages as a result of the accident, verifiable by a tax or pay stub. Your employer can also issue a letter detailing your hourly wage amount and how much you have missed since the accident. Records of Social Security disability are helpful as well. Also contained within this adjustment category is the concept of lost future wages. If you are not likely to be able to return to work any time soon, the adjuster should add this into your final recoverable amount. The adjuster is not likely to be very lenient in this area and your New Jersey personal injury lawyer should garner as much documentation pertaining to these damages as possible.

Need a Lawyer?

If you are dealing with the insurance adjuster on your own, you should immediately consider speaking with a New Jersey personal injury lawyer. Call attorney Gerald Clark today: (877)-841-8855.