Within days of reporting a slip and fall, the property owner’s insurance company will assign an adjuster to your claim. The adjuster will probably sound friendly, sympathetic, and genuinely interested in your recovery. They may be all of those things as a person — but professionally, they have one objective: settle your claim for as little as their employer will allow. Every conversation you have with them becomes part of the record that shapes what your claim is worth.
You do not need to be adversarial, and you do not need to be afraid. You do need to be prepared. This guide covers the dos that protect your claim, the don’ts that quietly weaken it, and the most common adjuster tactics — with calm, honest counters for each one.
Who the Adjuster Is (and Isn’t)
The adjuster works for the insurance company, not for you. In a premises-liability case, that is usually the carrier insuring the property where you fell — the grocery store’s liability insurer, a landlord’s carrier, or a municipality’s risk pool. Adjusters are evaluated on how efficiently they close files and how little they pay to close them. That does not make them villains; it makes them negotiators whose interests run opposite to yours.
Keeping that in mind changes the tone of every call. You can be polite and cooperative while remembering that the person on the other end is gathering information to evaluate — and limit — your claim. For background on how that evaluation works, read What Determines Your Slip and Fall Settlement Range.
Before the First Call: Get Organized
The adjuster’s first outreach often comes fast, sometimes within a couple of days of your incident report. Before you speak with them, gather the basics: the date, time, and exact location of the fall; photos of the hazard and your injuries; the names and contact details of any witnesses; and a simple list of the medical visits you have had so far. Put it all in one folder, physical or digital, that you can reach during a call.
Also start a brief timeline now — one line per event, from the fall through each treatment and phone call. That running log becomes the backbone of your demand letter later, and it keeps your story consistent across months of conversations. Insurance negotiation norms keep evolving, and our overview of 2026 premises liability trends explains what is changing in how carriers handle these claims.
The Dos
Do: Report the Incident Promptly
Report the fall to the property owner or manager as soon as you safely can, and notify the insurer once a claim number exists. Prompt reporting creates a contemporaneous record — a written note made close to the event — which carries far more weight than a recollection offered weeks later. Delays give the other side room to argue that the hazard was fixed long ago, that your injuries came from something else, or that the incident never happened at all.
Do: Stick to Verifiable Facts
When describing the fall, state only what you directly observed: where you were walking, what the surface looked like, what you slipped on, and what hurt afterward. “I slipped on a clear liquid near the produce aisle and landed on my right hip” is useful. Guessing about how long the liquid was there, or diagnosing your own injury, is not — and it hands the adjuster statements they can revisit later. If you do not know something, say so plainly.
Do: Document Every Interaction
After every call or email with the adjuster, write down the date, the adjuster’s name, and a short summary of what was said and promised. If the adjuster says a check is coming or a decision will arrive by Friday, note it. Insurers handle thousands of files; your notes turn “I think they said” into “on this date, they said.” Send important statements in writing — email creates a timestamp neither side can dispute.
Do: Follow Your Doctor’s Orders Exactly
Attend every appointment, complete the prescribed therapy, and take medications as directed. Gaps in treatment are one of the first things an adjuster flags: missed physical therapy sessions get framed as proof you were not really hurt. If you cannot afford care or cannot get an appointment, tell your provider and document the reason — a documented obstacle is very different from unexplained silence in your medical records.
Do: Know Your Claim’s Value Before Negotiating
Never enter a negotiation without your own sense of what the claim is worth. Add up your documented losses — medical bills, lost income, out-of-pocket costs — and understand the non-economic side, like pain and disruption to your daily life. Our factor-by-factor breakdown in What Determines Your Slip and Fall Settlement Range walks through how carriers weigh each element. An adjuster’s first offer is an opening position, not a verdict; you can only recognize a low one if you have done this homework.
Do: Take Your Time
You are under no obligation to resolve the claim on the adjuster’s schedule. Settling before your treatment is complete means settling before you know the full cost of your injuries — including whether you will need future care. A reasonable response to pressure is a simple one: “I am still treating, and I will discuss settlement when my medical picture is clear.” Patience is leverage.
The Don’ts
Don’t: Give a Recorded Statement Casually
Adjusters often ask to take your recorded statement early, framing it as routine paperwork. It is not routine for you. A recording locks in your words before you know the extent of your injuries, and casual phrasing — “I’m feeling okay” on a good day — can be replayed months later to dispute ongoing pain. You are generally not required to give one to the other party’s insurer. If you agree to speak at all, keep it brief, factual, and unrecorded until you have guidance.
Don’t: Speculate About Fault or Your Injuries
Avoid sentences that begin with “I think” or “probably” when describing how the fall happened or how badly you are hurt. Speculation about the property owner’s conduct (“they must have known”) or your prognosis (“I’ll be fine in a week”) can be quoted back at you. Report symptoms as you experience them, describe the scene as you saw it, and leave conclusions to the evidence.
Don’t: Sign Broad Medical Authorizations
The adjuster may send a medical authorization form so they can “verify your treatment.” Read it before signing anything. Broad authorizations can open your entire medical history — unrelated conditions from years ago — to an insurer looking for alternative explanations for your pain. You can provide records relevant to the fall yourself, or through your own representative, without handing over blanket access.
Don’t: Accept the First Offer
First offers are almost always low. Adjusters expect negotiation; the initial number is designed to test whether you will take it. Thank them, say you need time to review it against your documented losses, and respond in writing with your own reasoned figure — the demand letter process covered in How to Write a Demand Letter That Gets Taken Seriously is built for exactly this moment.
Don’t: Discuss the Fall on Social Media
Photos of you hiking, dancing at a wedding, or even smiling at a barbecue can be pulled out of context to argue your injuries are exaggerated. Adjusters and defense attorneys do look. The safest policy during an open claim is to post nothing about your activities, your injuries, or the case — and to ask friends and family not to tag you either. Privacy settings are not a shield; assume anything posted could be seen.
Don’t: Exaggerate — or Minimize
Credibility is the currency of your entire claim. Exaggerating symptoms destroys it instantly if medical records or surveillance contradict you. But minimizing is just as costly: telling the adjuster “it’s not that bad” out of politeness becomes a quote used to discount your pain later. Be accurate. Describe good days and bad days honestly, and let the medical documentation speak in its own terms.
Common Adjuster Tactics — and How to Counter Them
Most adjusters use a familiar playbook. None of these tactics are personal; they are techniques taught in training. Recognizing them in the moment keeps you from reacting emotionally and making concessions you will regret.
Tactic 1: The Quick Low Offer
Days after the fall, the adjuster may offer a fast settlement “so you can move on.” The timing is the tactic: they want you to settle before you understand your injuries or your rights. Counter it by declining politely and stating you will consider settlement once treatment concludes. Early money is almost never full money.
Tactic 2: The “Friendly Chat” Fishing Expedition
Long, casual conversations are designed to get you talking — about prior injuries, about what you were doing before the fall, about anything that might dilute liability. Counter it by keeping calls short and on-topic. Answer the question asked, nothing more. “I’d prefer to keep our discussion to the facts of the incident” is a complete sentence.
Tactic 3: Delay, Then Pressure
Some files go quiet for weeks, then suddenly there is a deadline: “this offer expires Friday.” The delay wears you down; the artificial urgency pushes you to decide tired. Counter it by recognizing that genuine settlement authority does not evaporate on an adjuster’s timetable. Ask for the deadline in writing, along with the reason for it, and take the time you need. Real deadlines come from statutes of limitations, not phone calls.
Tactic 4: Shifting Blame Onto You
“Weren’t you looking at your phone?” “Those shoes aren’t great for wet floors.” Comparative fault is real law in many states, and adjusters invoke it to shave percentages off your claim. Counter it with facts, not arguments: the hazard’s condition, the lighting, the lack of warnings, witness accounts. If you bear some share of responsibility, that is a legal question to evaluate carefully — not a concession to make on a phone call.
Tactic 5: Downplaying Your Medical Treatment
“Do you really need more physical therapy?” “That MRI seems excessive.” The adjuster is not your doctor and is not qualified to second-guess prescribed care — but the suggestion plants doubt that can make you skip treatment, which then gets used against you. Counter it by following your provider’s plan and letting your records show medical necessity. Treatment decisions belong to you and your clinicians.
Putting It in Writing
Make written communication your default. After phone calls, send a brief confirming email: “Per our call today, you stated X and I stated Y.” Keep copies of every letter, form, and medical bill. Organized claimants are harder to lowball, because every number you cite can be traced to a document. When the file eventually moves toward a formal demand, this paper trail does half the work for you.
When to Let a Lawyer Take Over
Many straightforward claims resolve without attorneys. But consider getting counsel if liability is disputed, your injuries are serious or permanent, the adjuster stops returning calls, you are asked to give a recorded statement about a complex incident, or any offer feels disconnected from your actual losses. Most personal injury attorneys work on contingency, meaning the consultation costs you nothing upfront. An experienced lawyer also changes the negotiation dynamic — carriers evaluate represented claims differently, because the alternative to settlement is now a filed lawsuit.
Disclaimer: This article is general information, not legal advice. Laws vary by state — consult a licensed attorney about your situation.
The adjuster is doing a job, and so are you: protecting the value of a claim that represents real injuries, real bills, and real disruption to your life. Stay factual, stay patient, put everything in writing, and never let urgency — theirs — override diligence — yours.
