When you file a personal injury claim with an insurance company, the adjuster who contacts you isn't there to help you get a fair settlement. Their job — literally — is to pay out as little as possible. That's not cynicism; that's just how insurers operate. They employ trained professionals whose entire role centers on finding ways to limit what your claim costs them.

Lawyers experienced in this field can confirm this from practical experience. Attorneys at a Massachusetts personal injury law firm frequently see clients who come in after already accepting a settlement that didn't come close to covering their actual losses. In many of those cases, the damage happened early, before the claimant realized the adjuster was working against them. The tactics below are well-documented, widely practiced, and worth knowing before you talk to any insurance representative.

Tactic 1: The Fast Settlement Push

One of the first things adjusters do after a serious accident is reach out with a quick offer. The timing is deliberate. You're stressed, possibly still in pain, and the offer sounds reasonable — maybe even generous. But early settlements almost always come before the full extent of your injuries is clear. You might accept $8,000 today and find out six weeks later that you need surgery.

Once you sign a release, that's it. You can't go back and ask for more money, even if your medical bills triple.

Tactic 2: The Recorded Statement Request

Adjusters routinely ask claimants to give a recorded statement "just to document what happened." They frame it as a routine step. In reality, recorded statements are opportunities to catch you saying something that can be used to undercut your claim later.

Common ways this backfires:

• You say "I'm doing okay" when asked how you feel — and that gets used to suggest your injuries aren't serious.

• You guess at details about the accident and guess wrong.

• You inadvertently take partial responsibility for what happened.

You have the right to decline or to have an attorney present before you give any recorded statement.

Tactic 3: Delay as a Tool

Sometimes adjusters don't argue with your claim — they just stall. They take weeks to return calls, request the same documentation repeatedly, or push back timelines without explanation. This puts financial pressure on claimants who are already dealing with lost wages and mounting medical bills. Many people end up accepting lower offers simply to get some money coming in.

Every state has a statute of limitations on personal injury claims. Delay tactics work partly because they eat into the time you have to file a lawsuit if negotiations fall apart.

Tactic 4: Medical Record Scrutiny

Adjusters request full access to your medical history — sometimes going back years. On the surface, they frame this as standard verification. What they're actually looking for is any pre-existing condition they can point to as the real cause of your current symptoms.

If you had back pain two years ago and now claim a back injury from a car accident, the adjuster may argue your current condition is pre-existing and unrelated to the crash. The law generally protects against this through what's called the "eggshell plaintiff" principle, which means defendants take victims as they find them. But adjusters still use old records as leverage to push claimants toward lower settlements.

Tactic 5: The So-Called Independent Medical Examination

Insurance companies can require claimants to undergo an "independent medical examination," or IME. The doctor who conducts it isn't your doctor and has no prior relationship with you. These physicians get hired and paid by the insurance company — an obvious conflict of interest hidden behind the "independent" label.

IME doctors are notably more likely to conclude that:

• Your injuries are less severe than your treating physician says

• You've reached "maximum medical improvement" faster than expected

• Your ongoing symptoms aren't connected to the accident at all.

Their report then becomes part of the official claim record, and adjusters use it to justify a lower payout.

Tactic 6: Social Media as Evidence

Adjusters — and the investigators they sometimes hire — regularly monitor the social media accounts of claimants. A single photo of you at a family gathering, a post about going for a walk, or even a tagged restaurant check-in can get pulled out of context to suggest you're exaggerating your injuries.

This tactic works because people don't think about how ordinary moments look to someone building a case against them. A few practical steps to take if you have an active claim:

• Set all accounts to private, but don't delete existing posts (deletion can look like tampering).

• Avoid posting photos of physical activity, travel, or social events.

• Ask friends not to tag you in anything while the claim is open.

Insurance adjusters work for the insurance company, not for you. Their goal and your goal are fundamentally at odds. Knowing these tactics puts you in a much better position to recognize when they're being used — and to decide whether you need legal representation before the process goes any further.