Insurance adjusters are trained negotiators with years of experience minimizing claims. Knowing their tactics before you deal with them puts you on equal footing — or better, it tells you when to call a lawyer.
Tactic 1: The Early Settlement Offer
Adjusters often make quick settlement offers immediately after a claim, before you've had time to get independent estimates or understand the full extent of your damage. These offers are designed to close the claim cheaply before you realize the true cost of your loss.
Tactic 2: The Recorded Statement Trap
Adjusters request recorded statements under the guise of 'routine claims investigation.' What they're really doing is creating a record they can use to find inconsistencies in your account, limit your claim, or deny it entirely. Never give a recorded statement without consulting an attorney.
Tactic 3: The 'Pre-Existing Damage' Claim
When an adjuster attributes damage to pre-existing conditions or deferred maintenance rather than the covered storm event, they shift the cost from the insurer to you. CDF Law counters this with satellite imagery, expert inspection, and prior claims history analysis.
Tactic 4: Misclassifying Wind Damage as Flood
After hurricanes and severe storms, insurers routinely reclassify wind damage as flood damage — shifting the loss to the NFIP or to the homeowner. This is aggressively litigated by CDF Law with structural engineering and meteorological expert evidence.
Tactic 5: Excessive Depreciation
Adjusters apply depreciation to reduce ACV payments. When depreciation is applied excessively or to materials that shouldn't be depreciated, the initial payment is artificially reduced. CDF Law challenges improper depreciation calculations on every underpaid claim.