What many people do not realize is that not only does a car accident ruin your day, but also the fight with the insurance company afterward can ruin many more. Indeed, it is this insurance fight that drives many to finally use an attorney, even those who did not, initially, want to use one. But, the first sign that the Las Vegas, Nevada, insurance company is going to act in bad faith is an outrageous adjuster estimation.
What if it is my insurance company?
Not all car accidents involve other insurance companies. Indeed, due to the prevalence of uninsured drivers and the ease of running after an accident, many car-accident victims find themselves fighting their own insurance companies. Remember, for publicly traded insurance companies, their priority and fiduciary duty is to their stockholders, not to you, their customer.
It is not to say that they will obviously treat you poorly because that will likely not be the case. However, you may receive much less than you would have with an attorney’s assistance because the agent’s job is to pay out as little as possible.
What about an unreasonable adjuster?
It is illegal for your Las Vegas, Nevada, adjuster and your insurance company to act in bad faith, which includes your estimated repair costs. This means that they must be able to justify their estimate, and if your mechanic disagrees, they must articulate why there is a discrepancy. For insurance companies acting in good faith, they will match their estimate to your mechanic’s estimate. On the other hand, those acting in bad will refuse to match it, not articulate why and act like it is a “take it or leave it” situation.
What do you do next?
Speak up, strongly. If they say, take it or leave it, do not be afraid to leave it. Do not sign anything or agree to anything until you speak with an attorney. However, sometimes, just saying that you believe they are illegally acting in bad faith and threatening to contact a Las Vegas, Nevada, attorney and the state’s insurance regulatory body will solve the problem. They know what they are doing is wrong and illegal and being called out will often solve the problem.
