Quote:
Originally Posted by solarguy
The squeaky wheel often does get the grease.
No squeaking, no grease.
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I once had a 1968 Volvo that got T-boned by a pickup that ran a stop sign. The driver admitted fault (he was tired after a long day), and a witness behind me stopped and verified that I was not at fault. Damage estimate was $1400, the insurance company said that they would pay $1000 minus 20% because I could have dodged out of the way (not possible) minus another 20% because I got up in the morning for a final offer of $640. I hit the ceiling, called the insurance agent (not the adjuster), and asked for the address of the office of the state insurance commissioner. He asked why. I said that the offer was so ridiculous that there was no point in negotiating. I then called a lawyer picked at random from the phone book. Once I made it clear to the lawyer that I knew better than to take it to court, I just wanted some advice on how to negotiate with an insurance company, he was off and running.
Legally, I was screwed. However, insurance companies want to get claims settled AND they are intimidated by people that know their rights. My leverage was that I had talked to a lawyer. The lawyer charged me $5 for a half hour conversation.
Then the adjuster called. The conversation went something like this:
Adjuster: "I understand that you are not satisfied with our offer".
Me: "It was ridiculous. I consulted with my attorney, and he recommended that I give you another chance."
Adjuster: "What would you consider a fair offer?"
And that was what they paid. In full.