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Talking to the other side's insurance adjuster

The adjuster is often professional and friendly — and works for the insurer whose policyholder you are claiming against, not for you. Both things are true at once.

3 min read · Last reviewed September 2026

What the adjuster's job actually is

To evaluate and resolve claims on behalf of the insurer, efficiently and at a cost the insurer can justify. That is not a criticism — it is the role, and many adjusters do it courteously. But the pleasantness of the interaction says nothing about the adequacy of the offer.

A first offer that arrives before your treatment has finished is not a full valuation. It may be an attempt to close the file before the cost is known.

What you are and are not obliged to do

You must generally cooperate with your own insurer under the terms of your policy. You are not obliged to give a recorded statement to the other side's insurer, and you are not obliged to sign a blanket medical authorization for them.

A broad authorization lets them go through your entire medical history looking for a pre-existing condition to attribute your symptoms to. Providing records relevant to this injury is reasonable; handing over everything is not required.

The four things not to say

“I'm fine” — said reflexively, quoted permanently. “I think it was about…” — speculation becomes a commitment. “I don't need a lawyer for this” — signals what your claim is worth to them. Any figure at all, before you know the medical picture.

Put it in writing

Ask the adjuster to confirm in email what they have told you on the phone. Requests, deadlines and offers all become clearer when someone has to write them down, and you end up with a record. If you want to record a call instead, California law generally requires the consent of everyone on it, because the law protects confidential conversations (Penal Code § 632).

  1. Confirm who you are speaking to

    Name, company, claim number, and which party they represent. Write it down.

  2. Give only the basics initially

    Date, location, vehicles or premises involved, the fact that you are receiving treatment.

  3. Decline the recorded statement politely

    “I'd rather not do that today” is a complete answer.

  4. Wait for treatment to stabilize before discussing value

    Before that, nobody knows the number — including you.

Common questions

Is it bad faith for them to lowball me?
A low offer is not bad faith by itself. And as a claimant against someone else's insurer, you generally cannot sue that insurer for bad faith or for breaking California's unfair claims practices law — bad-faith claims generally belong to the insurer's own policyholder (Moradi-Shalal v. Fireman's Fund Ins. Companies (1988) 46 Cal.3d 287). What you can do is complain to the California Department of Insurance, which enforces the Fair Claims Settlement Practices Regulations — for example, the rule that an insurer must accept or deny a claim within 40 days of receiving proof of claim (Cal. Code Regs., tit. 10, § 2695.7(b)).
They keep calling. Do I have to answer?
No. You can ask for communication by email, and once you tell the insurer you have an attorney, communication will generally go through the attorney.

Official sources

About this guide
Last reviewed September 2026 by the LA Law Hub editorial team against the official sources listed above. Laws, court rules, fees and local ordinances change, and how they apply depends on facts this guide cannot know. LA Law Hub is not a law firm. This guide is general information, not legal advice, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. For advice about your own situation, speak with a lawyer licensed in California.

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