Should I yell at the insurance adjuster?

The answer is no. I can’t tell you how many times clients try to handle things on their own, and then end up yelling at the insurance adjuster in frustration. Then they call me as if I’m supposed to make everything OK. Now I am dealing with an irate insurance adjuster who is, at the end of the day, a human being like anyone else. If they are insulted or yelled at, they will likely dig their heels in the sand.

The best thing to do is not to make the matter personal. The insurance adjuster is only doing his or her job. Their job is to hoard money for the insurance company. They are not interested in your problems, and they do not share your concerns.  They may seem very helpful (and many of them can indeed be helpful), but their interests are not the same as yours.

Yelling at the insurance will only infuriate them and cause them to be more difficult. I always ask clients, “Why are you yelling at the same person who may be writing you a check one day?“ To be honest, there have been times in my history where I lost my cool and ended up yelling at the insurance adjuster.  I'm not proud of those times.  Truth be told, it never ends well and doesn’t help move the case forward. 

​You can respectfully disagree and be civil the entire time. There is nothing to be gained by antagonism. Over the years, I have found that having a good relationship with the insurance adjuster (and the defense attorney as may be the case), is helpful to getting the case resolved.