Seattle Personal Injury Attorney Chris Thayer
Seattle Personal Injury Attorney Chris Thayer
Handling Personal Injury Claims in the Seattle Area and Throughout Washington Since 1995

My name is Chris Thayer and I am a personal injury attorney practicing in downtown Seattle. I handle personal injury, medical malpractice and wrongful death claims throughout the greater Seattle area, including Issaquah, Mercer Island and Kirkland.

I am here to help you.

Call for a free consultation (206) 340-2008

Five Tips for Dealing with Difficult Insurance Companies

Posted Wednesday, May 21, 2014 by Chris Thayer

Five Tips for Dealing with Difficult Insurance CompaniesAn experienced Seattle personal injury lawyer will have dealt with insurance companies ranging from small regional ones willing to negotiate to large, national carriers who are very conservative about settlements. Here are some tips that might help you understand how they work.alt text

-Your Seattle personal injury attorney should know not only about how the insurance companies operate, but also about the law firms that they usually hire to defend them in lawsuits. More reasonable insurance carriers tend to hire retain law firms that are similarly reasonable. Large conservative carriers tend to hire top-dollar firms who are aggressive in their tactics and are likely to be difficult to negotiate with.

-The majority of the insurance adjuster workforce in the country is women. They are experienced in the negotiation process and do not react well to threats and offensive behavior, especially if that behavior comes with the veneer of sexism. An experienced Seattle personal injury attorney will understand and know not to condescend to them or to wish for the “good old boy days.”

-If you are dealing with a more reasonable carrier, your attorney will make efforts to establish a good working relationship built on trust and honesty with them. This will make negotiations more fluid and save time and trouble.

-Keep in mind that adjusters have a job to do and they are doing it under the supervision of a manager. If you disagree with something they are doing, do not get angry or take it out on the adjuster. That will just make it more difficult to reach a settlement.

-Negotiation is much like sales: People respond well to people they like and have things in common with. Your attorney might try to keep track of the hobbies or past-times of various adjusters to have something to converse about during negotiations and keep a friendly relationship going. The more your Seattle personal injury lawyer is interested in them or something that they are talking about, the more agreeable they will be.

These are only some things your attorney might keep in mind during negotiations. For more help with your personal injury claim, contact Seattle personal injury lawyer Chris Thayer at (206) 340-2008.