Question: I was in a car accident a year ago. The insurance company said I would be paid for loss of income, but I never received that. I’ve been off work for nine months. I don’t have an attorney; the insurance people said I don’t need one. They keep saying they are working on it. But I need my money.
BILL: Yeah, it sounds like you’re just getting the runaround. You gotta be the squeaky wheel. So, I would just keep calling that adjuster.
Now, if you really want to be that squeaky wheel, tell them to write down their plan of action; yes, tell them to send you a letter or an email explaining why they’re not taking care of you. Put them on the hook. That way, there’s no hearsay or, you know, he said this, or she said that. Tell them to put it in writing, and I bet that will get some action.
We do this all the time. I just recently did that for a client who was denied. I said to the insurance company, well, send me the policy excerpt that you’re relying on to not accept responsibility. This does two things. First, you have something in writing when you go to challenge the decision, and second, the adjuster now has to second guess what his or her boss will think. It might be easier to just settle with you and get you off the adjuster’s back.
Sadly, this is often how dealing with insurance companies works. Don’t be afraid of being a pest. Hey, they are the ones doing you wrong.
This might surprise you, but we tell more people that they don’t need a lawyer than we tell them that they do. For something like this, you really can do it yourself.
Now, if it comes to bringing a lawsuit … get a lawyer. Don’t go that alone. You could be the smartest person in the world, but if you take on a lawsuit by yourself against a trained professional lawyer, you are going to lose. It is the lawyers’ playground. They know the rules. They know the procedures. And you do not. And I’ve seen people wanna do it just to prove to everybody how smart they are. It never goes well. Believe me now or believe me later, the lawyer could be half as smart as you, and he or she will still win.
Let me say it one more time as your friend (and a lawyer}: if you go into a courtroom as your own lawyer, it is not going to end well … for you.
Now, go call that adjuster.
CALL BILL
Injured? You can call Bill at 251-255-5000. He will talk to you for free. Plus, watch Bill every Sunday night at 10:30 on NBC 15 LawCall, our legal TV show, here in Mobile. Hosted by Andrea Ramey, it is on right after the news.