When a bodily injury claim lands on an insurance adjuster’s desk, the decision isn’t just about reading records. Adjusters are trained to limit settlements by questioning liability, medical necessity, and future exposure. I was trained by personal injury attorneys who themselves started out as insurance adjusters, so I learned early on exactly what the other side is looking for — and how to close the gaps before they can be exploited.

This “insider-informed” approach isn’t unique to me. Many attorneys across the country highlight their adjuster backgrounds as part of their practice — firms like GriffithLaw in Tennessee, Kuvara Law in California, and others emphasize how that perspective helps them anticipate insurer tactics. The James Scott Farrin firm even published a multi-part “Confessions of a Former Insurance Adjuster” series. The point is clear: understanding the adjuster mindset matters.

Here are seven things your demand package must prove if you want to move the adjuster toward a meaningful settlement:

1. Liability is Unshakable

Adjusters look for escape routes — comparative negligence, sudden emergency defenses, or gaps in causation. Your demand must lock liability down with police reports, statutes violated, and clear narrative sequencing.

2. Injuries Are Well-Documented and Chronological

Scattered or inconsistent records create openings to discount severity. Adjusters are trained to skim — so a tight chronology with every provider, test, and prescription tied to the incident is critical.

3. Medical Necessity is Supported by Imaging and Physician Notes

Adjusters know juries trust MRIs more than patient complaints. Diagnostic findings (herniations, ligament tears, diffusion tensor imaging for TBI) keep claims anchored in objective evidence.

4. Treatment is Consistent and Without Gaps

Any delay or gap in care is flagged as a weakness. A strong demand explains treatment cadence, follow-ups, and the medical reasoning behind each gap if one exists.

5. Future Damages Are Quantified, Not Hinted At

Adjusters need numbers to set reserves and justify authority increases. Documenting injection costs, therapy sessions, surgical estimates, and lost earning capacity translates subjective pain into measurable exposure.

6. Non-Economic Harm is Tied to Function

Pain and suffering claims land harder when tied to daily living: inability to work, disrupted sleep, lost mobility. Show how the injury alters life, not just that it hurts.

7. Settlement Authority Needs Justification

Many adjusters have limited settlement authority, so a good demand letter must clearly document and justify value so adjusters can take it up the chain. Ultimately, they must defend their file recommendations to supervisors. A well-written demand gives them the ammunition — liability proof, economic calculations, and future projections — to move your case higher up the ladder.

Final Word

Demand letters written with an adjuster’s mindset anticipate objections before they’re raised. That’s why I structure every package to satisfy both the legal and the insurance sides of the equation.

If your firm could benefit from demands that speak directly to how insurers evaluate claims, let’s connect.