If you were involved in a car accident and the insurance adjuster has made you an offer, should you take the first offer that the insurance company makes?
Every case is different and has its unique set of facts. As a general rule, you shouldn’t take the first offer made by the insurance adjuster. Most of the time, the insurance adjuster is not going to take the offer off of the table. When I negotiate with an insurance adjuster I negotiate until the insurance adjuster tells me that he or she’s at their top number.
At that point in time, my client and I have to work out the numbers and then the client has to make the decision whether they want to settle the claim or file a lawsuit. In review the insurance company doesn’t expect you to take the first offer. It’s in your best interest to try to negotiate until the insurance adjuster says, “No more. That’s all I have.”
Once you hear those magic words, you can either go to the well one more time and see if that is really all the money the insurance adjuster has or you’ll have to make the decision about whether you want to settle your claim or not.
If you have any questions about a car accident, you could always give me a call.