What To Do When The Adjuster Won’t Return Your Calls After An Accident

We get a quite a few calls from folks with complaints about insurance company adjusters. The number one complaint involves not being able to get a return call from these adjusters. Many people do not want to hassle with the insurance claim and simply want some recognition that their claim will be handled in a fair and professional manner.

Unfortunately, insurance companies for the at-fault driver rarely operate that way. It’s generally not anything personal. Rather, the adjusters are overloaded with claims and saddled with a system that is designed to slow down claims in an effort to reduce the number of claims.

If you have been in a car wreck that was not your fault, you have many pressing issues that need to be addressed promptly. Some of those issues include the repair or replacement of your vehicle, alternative transportation while you’re dealing with the property damage, and getting help with your medical bills and lost wages.

If you purchased “full coverage” insurance for your vehicle you have a choice on how the property damage is handled. You can use your own insurance to cover the damage or the at-fault party’s insurance. If you decide to use your own insurance, you likely have a deductible. If there is no dispute as to liability, you will ultimately get your deductible back from the adverse insurance company. However, if you ask your insurance carrier, they may be willing to waive the deductible. It’s fairly common for them to do so upon request. You will generally get better service running the property damage through your own insurance company and won’t have to bother waiting for the adverse insurance company to approve a rental car or long delays in getting a callback.

If you do not have full coverage, you will need to work with the adverse insurance company to handle your property damage and rental vehicle. If you are having trouble getting the adjuster for the at-fault driver to return your calls, there are two main strategies that may help. The first is the squeaky wheel strategy. Simply call frequently in an effort to put your name at the head of the list for the adjuster to return your call. Many insurance adjusters have more cases than they can really handle and the squeaky wheel approach is usually effective. Another approach is to ask for a supervisor to intervene and help to push your claim forward.