Your phone rings two days after your car accident in Anderson. The other driver's insurance adjuster sounds friendly, almost concerned. They ask how you're feeling, whether you've seen a doctor, and what happened at the scene. Before you realize it, you've spent 20 minutes answering questions that will later be used against you.
This scenario plays out thousands of times across South Carolina. Insurance adjusters contact accident victims quickly, often before they've consulted a South Carolina car accident lawyer. The sooner they get your statement, the better their chances of finding something to reduce what they owe you.
Why Insurance Adjusters Contact You So Quickly
Adjusters know that accident victims are vulnerable in those first days after a car crash. You're dealing with pain, medical appointments, missed work, and mounting bills. This stress makes you more likely to accept a quick settlement that falls short of covering your actual damages.
Every question an adjuster asks serves their interests, not yours. They're gathering information to establish your version of events, assess injury severity, and identify potential fault. One casual comment about being distracted or in a hurry can shift liability calculations under South Carolina's modified comparative negligence rule. If you're 51% or more at fault, you're barred from recovering altogether.
Most South Carolina injury claims have a three-year deadline. Settlement negotiations don't stop this clock. You generally must file a lawsuit within the limitations period and properly serve the defendant. Delays can work against you as deadlines approach, and waiting too long can destroy your case entirely.
Common Tactics Aggressive Insurance Adjusters Use
Insurance companies employ trained professionals whose job involves paying as little as possible. Understanding their methods helps you recognize manipulation when it happens.
The "Friendly Helper" Approach
The adjuster who calls right after your accident often sounds sympathetic. They express concern and offer to help with your claim. This friendliness serves a purpose: getting you to trust them and share information without legal protection.
Requesting Recorded Statements
Adjusters frequently ask for recorded statements, claiming it's "standard procedure" or necessary to process your claim. These recorded statements create permanent records that get used against you later, like downplaying injuries, guessing about speed or distance, and speculating about fault.
The Lowball Settlement Offer
Quick, inadequate settlement offers represent one of the most effective tactics. The adjuster makes an offer before you know the full extent of your injuries, hoping you'll accept out of financial desperation. These offers often ignore future treatment, ongoing therapy, pain and suffering, and life disruption.
Requesting Broad Medical Authorizations
Many adjusters request blanket medical authorizations that give them access to your entire medical history, including conditions completely unrelated to the accident. They're looking for pre-existing injuries or health issues they can use to argue your current pain stems from something other than the crash.
Leveraging Police Reports
Many people assume the police report "decides fault," but it's just one piece of evidence. While officers' observations can be helpful, insurance companies and courts evaluate all available evidence, including your own words and social media activity.
What to Say (and Not Say) to Insurance Adjusters
You can't completely avoid talking to insurance adjusters, but you can protect yourself by controlling what information you share.
Information You Must Provide
You usually have a duty to cooperate with your own insurer under your policy. You should provide basic accident details, your contact information, your policy number, and police report information. The other driver's insurer typically can't require detailed information before you've consulted legal counsel.
Information to Withhold
Limit what you share with any insurance company before consulting an attorney. Avoid providing:
- Detailed statements about how the accident happened
- Medical information beyond basic injuries
- Employment and wage details
- Settlement demands or expectations
- Recorded statements to the other driver's insurer
Phrases That Protect You
When you must speak with an adjuster, certain phrases help protect your interests:
- I need to consult with my attorney before answering that.
- I'm still receiving medical treatment and don't know the full extent of my injuries.
- I'll have my attorney provide that information.
- I'm not comfortable discussing that right now.
How a South Carolina Car Accident Lawyer Handles Adjuster Communications
Hiring an attorney fundamentally changes the power dynamic with insurance companies.
Your Attorney Becomes the Buffer
Once you hire an attorney, insurers are generally directed to communicate through your lawyer, which can greatly reduce direct calls. This means adjusters typically won't contact you with settlement offers, request statements or documents directly from you, or pressure you with deadlines or threats.
Attorneys Know the True Value of Your Claim
Insurance adjusters count on accident victims not knowing what their cases are worth. Your attorney calculates your claim's full value by considering all current medical expenses, future medical costs, lost wages and earning capacity, pain and suffering, property damage, and loss of enjoyment.
Negotiation Skills Make the Difference
Experienced South Carolina car accident lawyers negotiate from strength because they're prepared to take cases to trial if necessary. In many cases, represented claimants may recover more, especially when liability or damages are disputed. When the adjuster knows they're dealing with a lawyer who will file suit if needed, reasonable offers are more likely to emerge.