Should I accept the insurance adjustor's offer for a quick settlement for the property damage portion of my car accident claim?

A: It is extremely common for an insurance adjuster to inspect your car's damage and then use a program on his/her lap top to calculate how much the insurance company believes it will cost to get your car fixed.  Then, the adjuster will offer you that amount on the spot---a check for you right then.  It is often difficult for people to resist the urge to take the money being offered "right now" rather than doing a little bit of research and negotiating with the adjustor.  Many, many people have taken the check from the adjustor and cashed it only to discover later that no repair shop will actually do the required work for that amount of money. 

In cases such as these the insurance adjuster has simply tricked the car owner into settling the claim for far less than it is worth.  Then the car owner has to pay the difference in order to get their car repaired....which can be a lot more money. Taking the check and cashing it finalizes the settlement agreement between you and the insurance company.  If the amount does not cover 100% of the costs to repair your vehicle then you must pay the rest out-of-your-own-pocket. 

Knowing all this it is easy to see why the insurance company wants 'settle your claim quickly'.  If they settle quickly they can settle for less.

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