This is my last of a series of five columns on negotiating tactics used by insurance adjusters for personal injury claims, my hope is that the lucky majority of you never have to face this situation.
But I hope these columns can provide a protective awareness against manipulative tactics in whatever type of negotiation you might encounter.
At some point in any negotiation, if you push hard enough, you will come up against the portrayal of a brick wall.
I say 香蕉视频直播減ortrayal香蕉视频直播� because it is impossible to know whether or not you have, in fact, come up against the 香蕉视频直播渂ottom line.香蕉视频直播�
There are various ways to portray, or signal, a bottom line. On the softer side, you might encounter: 香蕉视频直播淭hat香蕉视频直播檚 my best price,香蕉视频直播� or 香蕉视频直播淚 can go as high (or low) as香蕉视频直播ο憬妒悠抵辈
As you push against that portrayal, the signal might become stronger: 香蕉视频直播淚香蕉视频直播檝e gone to bat for you with my manager, and that香蕉视频直播檚 the very best I can do for you,香蕉视频直播� or 香蕉视频直播淚 can香蕉视频直播檛 go any lower or I will be selling below cost.香蕉视频直播�
As you continue to push, you will eventually reach the strongest of signals. In a retail context, the strongest signal is to actually walk away.
In a personal injury claim negotiation, you might hear: 香蕉视频直播淭ake it or leave it, that香蕉视频直播檚 the most the insurance company will pay.香蕉视频直播�
No matter how strong the signal, though, you still can香蕉视频直播檛 be sure if you have really, truly, reached the other party香蕉视频直播檚 bottom line. The best negotiators are the best actors; best able to convince you that they have reached their bottom line when they really haven香蕉视频直播檛.
But if you walk away, the negotiation is over, right? Why would someone pretend, in the strongest of terms, to be at their bottom line if the 香蕉视频直播渟ignal香蕉视频直播� means an end to the negotiation?
My father tells the story of getting the best deal he香蕉视频直播檚 ever gotten on a vehicle purchase when the salesperson chased him down as he was walking off the lot.
How many of you have had a vendor in Mexico come out of the shop to chase you down the street to offer a better deal after being so very convincing about having given you the very best deal they could?
A purchaser walking away can always walk back. A vendor can always chase down the purchaser.
Even the strongest of signals might simply be a tactic, of bluff, to get to your own bottom line.
This is the most effective of tactics insurance adjusters use in the negotiation of a personal injury claim.
They tell you in the strongest of terms that the amount offered is the most you will ever be offered香蕉视频直播斚憬妒悠抵辈take it or leave it.香蕉视频直播�
They often throw in some threats such as, 香蕉视频直播淚f you don香蕉视频直播檛 accept this amount now, the offer will go down,香蕉视频直播� or lie to you by saying, 香蕉视频直播淓ither you accept this from me or you will have to go to trial.香蕉视频直播�
In the 20 years I have been in legal practice, the insurance company香蕉视频直播檚 offer has always, every time, increased after their bluff has been called and a lawyer retained.
With ICBC, the claim gets automatically transferred from one level of adjuster who deals with unrepresented claimants to a higher litigation level of adjuster.
I am often contacted by the new adjuster shortly after being retained with the invitation of picking up the negotiation wherever it had left off.
I know that many, many injured victims don香蕉视频直播檛 call the insurance company香蕉视频直播檚 bluff and instead settle for inadequate, unfairly low levels of compensation for their losses. It香蕉视频直播檚 a very effective negotiation tactic.
So how do you protect yourself from this tactic?
Start by getting a free, independent evaluation to learn what level of compensation is fair for your injuries and losses.
At least, then, you can make an informed decision about whether to accept whatever bottom line is being offered to you by the insurance company or to take the negotiation to the next level with the assistance of a lawyer.
