Insurance adjusters often use predictable tactics to reduce what they pay on injury claims: friendly early calls to get a recorded statement, quick low offers before you know the extent of your injuries, requests for broad medical records, delays that wear you down, and arguments that your injuries were minor or pre existing. Knowing these tactics in advance makes them much easier to handle.
Most adjusters aren’t villains. Many are professionals doing a difficult job. But they work for insurance companies, and their job includes closing claims at a reasonable cost to the company. When you are the person with the injury, “reasonable cost” can mean less than you deserve. Here is what to watch for.
Tactic 1: The Friendly Early Call
Within a day or two of the crash, an adjuster calls. They are warm, sympathetic and ask how you are doing. They may say they just need a quick recorded statement to get things moving.
Why it works: You are still shaken, possibly in pain, and want to be cooperative. Anything you say, including “I’m okay” or a guess about your speed, can be used later.
How to respond: Be polite, give basic facts like your name and contact information, and decline a recorded statement until you have seen a doctor and understand your injuries. You can offer to provide information in writing.
Tactic 2: The Quick Settlement Offer
Some insurers offer money within days, sometimes with a check ready if you sign a release.
Why it works: Bills arrive fast, and cash now is tempting. But once you sign, the claim is closed forever, even if you later need surgery.
How to respond: Don’t sign anything until your doctor understands your injuries and you know your total losses. A fair offer will still be available later.
Tactic 3: The Broad Medical Authorization
The adjuster sends a form asking you to authorize release of your medical records, often for many years and from any provider.
Why it works: Insurers look for old injuries or conditions they can blame instead of the accident.
How to respond: Don’t sign a blanket authorization. Offer to provide records related to the accident yourself, or limit the authorization to specific providers and dates.
Tactic 4: Questioning Your Treatment
The adjuster may say your treatment was excessive, such as too much physical therapy or unnecessary chiropractic care, or that you should have recovered faster.
Why it works: It shrinks the medical bills used to calculate your claim.
How to respond: Ask your doctor for a letter explaining why the treatment was necessary. Follow your treatment plan consistently so gaps don’t feed this argument.
Tactic 5: Blaming Pre Existing Conditions
“You had back problems before this accident.” This is one of the most common arguments.
Why it works: Many adults have some history of aches or old injuries.
How to respond: In most states, the at fault party is responsible for making a pre existing condition worse. Your doctor can explain the difference between your condition before and after the accident. Records showing you were functioning well before the crash help.
Tactic 6: Minimizing Low Damage Crashes
“There was barely a scratch on your car, so you can’t be hurt.”
Why it works: It sounds logical, and some people believe it.
How to respond: Vehicle damage isn’t a reliable measure of injury. Modern bumpers can absorb impact without visible damage while transferring force to occupants. Your medical records are what matter.
Tactic 7: Shifting Fault
The adjuster suggests you share some blame, maybe you were going a little fast, or could have braked sooner.
Why it works: Under comparative fault rules, every percentage point of blame reduces your recovery.
How to respond: Ask what evidence supports their fault percentage. Respond with the police report, photos, video or witness statements.
Tactic 8: Delay
Calls go unreturned. Documents are “lost.” Requests for more paperwork keep coming.
Why it works: Time pressure and frustration make people accept less.
How to respond: Keep a log of every contact. Follow up in writing with deadlines. If delays continue, ask for a supervisor and consider a complaint to your state insurance department. Remember that your statute of limitations keeps running.
Tactic 9: Surveillance and Social Media
Insurers sometimes check social media and, in larger claims, hire investigators.
Why it works: A photo of you smiling at a party or carrying groceries can be used to suggest you aren’t really hurt.
How to respond: Set your accounts to private, avoid posting about your activities or the accident, and behave consistently with what you tell your doctors.
Tactic 10: “This Is Our Final Offer”
The adjuster says the number can’t go higher.
Why it works: It creates a sense that negotiation is over.
How to respond: It often isn’t final. Respond with a documented counteroffer. If the insurer truly won’t move, filing a lawsuit or hiring a lawyer often changes the conversation.
Tactic 11: Discouraging You From Hiring a Lawyer
Some adjusters suggest a lawyer will just take a third of your money and slow things down.
Why it works: It sounds like friendly advice.
How to respond: Remember who the adjuster works for. For serious claims, studies and industry experience suggest represented claimants often recover more even after fees. A free consultation costs nothing.
Tactic 12: Using Claims Software
Many insurers use software to value injury claims based on codes and data in your medical records.
Why it works: The program only values what is documented. Missing details about pain, limitations and life impact lower the number.
How to respond: Make sure your doctors record your symptoms and limitations clearly at every visit. Include a detailed description of how the injury affected your life in your demand.
Tactic 13: Requests for an Independent Medical Exam
In some claims, especially first party claims with your own insurer, you may be asked to attend an examination with a doctor the insurer chooses. The exam is often described as independent, but the insurer pays the doctor.
Why it works: These doctors sometimes conclude that injuries are minor, resolved or unrelated to the accident, giving the insurer a basis to reduce or deny the claim.
How to respond: Check whether your policy or state law requires you to attend. If you go, be on time, be honest and consistent, and don’t exaggerate or downplay. Afterward, write down how long the exam took and what was done. If the report disagrees with your treating doctor, ask your doctor to respond in writing.
Tactic 14: Telling You Something Isn’t Covered
An adjuster may say a type of loss isn’t covered, like rental car costs, diminished value or certain medical treatment.
Why it works: Most people don’t read their policy closely and take the adjuster’s word for it.
How to respond: Ask the adjuster to point to the exact policy language in writing. Read the policy yourself. Misrepresenting coverage is considered an unfair claims practice in many states.
Tactic 15: Splitting Your Claim
Adjusters often settle property damage quickly while leaving the injury claim open. That is normal and can be helpful. But watch for paperwork in the property settlement that releases more than your car damage.
How to respond: Read every release carefully. A property damage release should only cover property damage, not your injuries.
Why Adjusters Use These Tactics
Insurance companies measure adjusters partly by how efficiently they close claims and how much they pay. Training, supervisor review and claims software all push toward consistent, cost conscious outcomes. That doesn’t make every adjuster unfair, but it explains why these patterns show up so often. Recognizing them lets you respond calmly instead of reacting under pressure.
When the Adjuster Is From Your Own Company
Many of these tactics also appear in claims with your own insurer, such as collision, uninsured motorist or MedPay claims. The difference is that your own insurer owes you a duty of good faith under your policy. You must cooperate with reasonable requests, but the company must also treat you fairly. If your own adjuster uses these tactics unreasonably, document it, because it may support a complaint or a bad faith claim.
Quick Reference: Tactic and Response
| Tactic | Your response |
|---|---|
| Recorded statement request | Decline politely; provide basic facts in writing |
| Quick offer | Wait until treatment is complete |
| Broad medical release | Limit to relevant records |
| Excessive treatment claim | Doctor’s letter on medical necessity |
| Pre existing condition | Show the before and after change |
| Low damage argument | Rely on medical evidence |
| Shared fault | Police report, photos, witnesses |
| Delays | Written follow ups, complaint to regulator |
| Final offer | Documented counteroffer, consider a lawyer |
How to Keep Communication Under Control
A few simple habits make every tactic easier to handle:
- Use one email address for all claim communication so nothing gets lost
- Ask the adjuster to put requests and offers in writing
- Answer questions within a reasonable time, but don’t feel pressured to respond on the spot
- Keep a single folder for all claim documents, with copies of everything you send
- Write a short summary after every phone call and email it to the adjuster
- Note every deadline, both the insurer’s and your own statute of limitations
These habits create a clear record. If the claim ever becomes a dispute, that record protects you.
A Quick Example
After a crash in Las Vegas, Carmen gets a call from the other driver’s insurer. The adjuster asks for a recorded statement, then emails a medical release covering ten years. A week later, an offer of $2,500 arrives. Carmen declines the recording, sends only her accident related records, keeps up with physical therapy and waits until her doctor says she has recovered. When the adjuster argues her neck pain is from an old injury, her doctor writes a letter explaining that her old injury had fully resolved years earlier. Her eventual settlement is several times the original offer.
What to Do Next
Keep your communication with adjusters short, factual and in writing. Don’t sign releases or authorizations without reading them carefully. Follow your treatment plan and document everything. If you notice several of these tactics or your injuries are serious, consider talking to an injury lawyer before making any decisions.
Sources
- National Association of Insurance Commissioners: Consumer Resources
- Insurance Information Institute: Filing a Claim
- Consumer Federation of America: Insurance
This article is for general information only and is not legal advice. Laws change and every case is different, so speak with a licensed attorney in your state about your own situation.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does an adjuster have to respond to me?
It depends on state law, but many states require insurers to acknowledge communications within a couple of weeks and decide claims within a reasonable time.
Should I talk to the adjuster at all?
You need to give basic information to open a claim. Keep it brief and factual, and think carefully before discussing injuries or fault.
Can I record my calls with an adjuster?
Recording laws vary by state, and some require consent from everyone on the call. It is simpler to follow each call with an email summarizing what was said.
Is the insurance adjuster on my side?
If it is the other driver’s insurer, no. The adjuster works for the insurance company and aims to resolve claims at a reasonable cost to it.
Should I sign the medical authorization the adjuster sent?
Be careful. Broad authorizations can give access to your entire medical history. Offer accident related records instead.
Why does the adjuster keep asking for more documents?
Sometimes the requests are legitimate, but repeated requests for documents you already sent can be a delay tactic. Keep records of everything you send.
Can an adjuster deny my claim because of an old injury?
They may try, but in most states the at fault party is responsible for aggravating a pre existing condition.
Do adjusters check social media?
Yes, it is common. Keep accounts private and avoid posting about your activities during a claim.
What does final offer mean from an adjuster?
It often isn’t truly final. A documented counteroffer, a lawyer or a lawsuit can change the insurer’s position.
