Trying to deal with an insurance company can be one of the most difficult and frustrating things that you will ever need to do. Especially when you combine dealing with the insurance company with the stress of dealing with a car accident, the frustration and anxiety that you may feel over the entire situation might reach overwhelming levels.
If you have been injured in a car accident in or near the city of Atlanta, Georgia, you need a compassionate and professional Atlanta car accident lawyer that can help you navigate the legal or insurance claims process. Contact a car accident lawyer in Atlanta as soon as possible for a free consultation and case review.
Where did Your Adjuster Go: Why They Might Have Stopped Calling
The insurance adjuster assigned to your claim may have started to give you the cold shoulder for any number of reasons. The reasons range widely from a mistake, such as the adjuster being much busier than normal and not getting around to returning your call yet, to tactics grounded in bad faith.
If Your Insurance Adjuster Is Stalling
Sometimes, insurance adjusters will stop calling you as a stall or delay tactic. This is usually done in an effort to pressure you into taking a lower settlement because your insurance adjuster is probably aware that you are counting on the money to make the necessary repairs to your car or pay hospital bills if you suffered personal injuries.
In fact, this is a fairly common tactic used by insurance adjusters and insurance companies alike, and it is not a new tactic either. Insurance companies understand that people will usually accept lower settlements either out of impatience or because they have a dire need for any amount of money, but right now. In fact, this tactic was so common in the past that many lawyers resorted to loaning their clients money against the final settlement amount, a practice that was later declared to be unethical.
Insurance companies are businesses out to make money. But they are constrained by the law to act in a manner that is in good faith and fair to you. If you are given the run around by your insurance adjuster, you need the help of a highly-skilled, professional, and compassionate car accident lawyer in Atlanta today.
Other Reasons You May Not Receive a Response
Your insurance adjuster might also fail to respond to you for other reasons. One of them, discussed above, is that your adjuster might simply be busy, but this is uncommon and is not a valid excuse for failure to fulfill their legal duties. Another reason why your adjuster is not answering you is because they simply do not have any more information to give.
Prior to offering you any settlement, your insurance company must do a full and fair investigation into the facts surrounding the accident. Unfortunately, for one reason or another, this can often take a considerable amount of time, and your insurance adjuster may go through a substantial period where they simply do not have any new information to share with you and are choosing not to waste your time by calling without an update.
Other times, the insurance adjuster might suspect that you were untruthful in your statement to them regarding the accident. A common tactic that insurance adjusters use in this situation is waiting several days before calling you back to see if you tell them the same story a second time. This is why it is important to tell the full truth and to consult a car accident attorney in Atlanta for advice on how to speak to your insurance company.
Your Atlanta Car Accident Attorney Might Be the “Spark” They Need
If your insurance company is leading you on with no end in sight, your best option is to contact a car accident lawyer in Atlanta to help you proceed with your claim. Oftentimes, your claim will be handled faster due to the threat of litigation because the adjuster knows that your claim will take them far longer to complete if you sue the company, especially if that adjuster gives you a reason to.
Other times, your lawyer will simply know the right “buttons to push” that can help push your insurance claim forward. Insurance claims can often get delayed because of very minor procedural mistakes, such as the police not properly sending them the police report. Your Atlanta car accident lawyer can help speed up this process by getting in touch with the necessary parties.
Subrogation
Sometimes, your insurance company will determine that you were not at fault for the accident, but the at-fault driver’s insurance company might stubbornly insist that their driver is also not at fault. Surprisingly, insurance companies will sometimes do this even if there is no question at all regarding fault.
If this happens, your insurance company may still pay for your damages (after you meet your deductible) and then go through a legal process called subrogation, where they essentially sue the other insurance company for their money back. If they win this lawsuit, you will get your deductible back as well. A lot of the time, this is a win-win for you because you get your claim paid while not having to do the legal heavy lifting yourself.
However, the insurance subrogation does not cover your personal injuries, so if you suffered physical injuries, you will need to contact your own Atlanta car accident attorney and pursue your own lawsuit.
Contact an Atlanta Car Accident Lawyer Today
Insurance companies can be frustrating to work with, especially since you almost exclusively deal with them immediately after another high-stress event, such as a car accident. Don’t let an insurance company drag you around during the worst time of your life. Contact a skilled Atlanta car accident lawyer today for a free consultation.
