Within hours or days of a car accident in the San Fernando Valley, your phone will start ringing. Insurance adjusters — sometimes from the other driver’s insurer, sometimes from your own — will call wanting to take your recorded statement, review your medical history, and settle your claim as quickly and cheaply as possible.

Understanding how insurance adjusters operate — and what they are actually trying to accomplish — is one of the most important things you can do to protect the full value of your personal injury claim.

What Insurance Adjusters Are Really Trying to Do

Insurance adjusters are professional negotiators employed by insurance companies to minimize payouts. They are not on your side. Even your own insurance company’s adjuster — in cases involving your own UM/UIM coverage or collision coverage — is working to protect the company’s bottom line, not your recovery.

In the San Fernando Valley, where insurers handle a high volume of personal injury claims from accidents on the 101, 405, 405, and local corridors like Sherman Way and Ventura Boulevard, adjusters are experienced at identifying weaknesses in claims and exploiting them.

The Recorded Statement Trap

The single most damaging thing most accident victims do is give a recorded statement to an insurance adjuster before consulting an attorney. Adjusters are trained to ask seemingly innocent questions designed to elicit answers that minimize your claim. Common examples include:

  • ‘How are you feeling today?’ — If you say ‘okay’ or ‘fine,’ that statement becomes evidence that your injuries are minor
  • ‘Can you describe exactly how the accident happened?’ — Anything that suggests you had any opportunity to avoid the collision can be used to assign you comparative fault
  • ‘Have you had any prior injuries to that area?’ — Used to argue your injuries are pre-existing rather than accident-related

You are not legally required to give a recorded statement to the other driver’s insurance company. You may have a contractual obligation to cooperate with your own insurer, but even then, you should consult an attorney before providing any recorded statement.

Common Insurance Adjuster Tactics in Los Angeles

The Early Settlement Offer: Adjusters frequently make quick, lowball offers within days of the accident — before you know the full extent of your injuries or your medical costs. These offers are designed to close your case cheaply before you hire an attorney. Never accept a settlement offer without consulting a personal injury attorney first.

Medical Records Requests: Adjusters request your complete medical history — not just records related to the accident — hoping to find prior injuries they can use to minimize your current claim. You are not required to provide your complete medical history to the other driver’s insurer.

Surveillance: In serious injury cases, insurance companies sometimes conduct surveillance of claimants. Photographs of you carrying groceries or walking normally can be used to challenge your injury claims. This does not mean you are lying — it means adjusters are aggressive.

Delay Tactics: Requesting the same documents multiple times, assigning new adjusters mid-case, or suddenly questioning liability after months of silence are all tactics designed to frustrate you into accepting a lower offer out of financial desperation.

What to Say (and Not Say) to an Insurance Adjuster

If you must communicate with an adjuster before hiring an attorney, follow these rules:

  • Provide only basic identifying information — your name, address, and contact information
  • Confirm the date, time, and location of the accident
  • Do not describe how the accident happened in detail
  • Do not discuss your injuries — say only that you are receiving medical care
  • Do not agree to a recorded statement
  • Do not accept any settlement offer
  • End the call and consult an attorney

How an Attorney Changes the Dynamic

Once you retain a personal injury attorney, all communication from insurance companies must go through your attorney. This immediately changes the dynamic — adjusters know that experienced attorneys recognize their tactics, have access to medical experts, and are willing to file suit if necessary.

At Girgis Law Firm, APC, attorney Anthony Girgis handles all insurance adjuster communications on behalf of his clients from the moment they retain him. He has over 16 years of experience negotiating with the major insurers operating in the San Fernando Valley and knows exactly how to counter their strategies. He represents car accident victims throughout Encino, Sherman Oaks, Van Nuys, Northridge, and surrounding communities on a contingency fee basis.

Injured in a car accident in the San Fernando Valley? Contact Girgis Law Firm, APC for a free consultation. Attorney Anthony Girgis represents accident victims throughout Encino, Sherman Oaks, Van Nuys, Northridge, Woodland Hills, and surrounding communities. Call (818) 986-5000 — no fees unless we win.