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Was hit by another driver that driver is at fault for the accident called her insurance adjuster and am being ignored

what am I to do left messages and have not heard back this situation really has me stressed out all though damages are minor would still like to get paid for the damages especially when that driver is at fault dont they have a time limit to respond to the claim, dont have the money for the attorney so I have to handle this claim on my own but what do I do when im being ignored by the insurance adjuster

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Attorney answers (1)

Reputation Level 7
You are not alone. First you have to understand that ignoring you and your claim is sometimes part of the business model that the insurance companies have developed to save them money. Just google the phrase, "Delay, Deny, Defend" and you will see tones of examples of how insurance companies have delliberately developed this approach to frustrate people who have valid claims into giving up or accepting less than they deserve.

I would encourage you to contact an attorney. Most attorneys take cases like yours on a contingent fee basis where the attorney is only paid if and when there is a recovery obtained for the client. Typically, the fees range from 33% if the case settles prior to filing a lawsuit, and 40-45% once a lawsuit is filed. In addition, the attorney is entitled to be reimbursed his or her expenses. This is good news for you as you do not have to pay money up front to hire an attorney to take this matter off of your plate. I would recommend you contact an attorney and discuss the matter with him or her and see what they think about your case. You will probably be surprised how helpful many attorneys will be even they decline to accept your case.

Otherwise, if your case is small (less than $10,000 in total damages, you can consider filing a lawsuit yourself in Small Claims Court. The rules of procedure and evidence do not apply to these proceedings, and most of the time, the parties are not represented by an attorney. However, if you sue someone who is insured, the insurance company will normally defend the person you are suing. That might concern you, but I have seen a lot of people who are not represented by an attorney in small claims court do remarkably well against an attorney because the process is simple and is designed to just get to the truth of the matter in a short period of time.
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