What to Do When the Other Driver's Insurance Company Won’t Call You Back

A car accident can be an incredibly traumatic event for everyone involved. Depending on the severity of the event, it’s possible that you’re dealing with significant pain, time off work with no pay, and feelings of anxiety or depression due to the stress of the event and the aftermath. It’s only natural that you want to resolve the incident quickly and move on with your life.

Unfortunately, insurance adjusters can prolong the process by seemingly stalling the case, limiting communication, or flat-out ignoring your calls for days or even weeks on end. When this happens, it can be hard to know how to move forward, and the longer you wait to hear back, the more difficult it can be to schedule follow-up medical appointments or repairs to your vehicle, especially if you have no idea if you’re going to be covered or not.

The good news is that dealing with silence from insurance adjusters is far from uncommon, but depending on how long it’s been and the details surrounding your accident, it can be a good idea to be proactive and contact a lawyer to speed things up. Here are the signs to look out for and what steps you can take to avoid your claim being ignored.

Why Insurance Companies Stop Returning Calls

It can be frustrating playing phone tag with an insurance adjuster or not hearing back from insurance at all. But there are legitimate reasons why you might be experiencing an extended period of silence while your claim is being processed.

One of the most common reasons why communications might be delayed is simply because the insurance company is backlogged with other claims. Like many other industries in today’s economy, insurance companies are facing staff shortages and a lack of resources. This can even be made worse at certain times of the year, especially if there is a sudden surge of accidents.

Another reason might be issues with the claim itself, especially if there are certain documents, statements, or paperwork that are missing or pending from their files. If the insurer is waiting on the police report, a supplemental repair estimate, or witness statements, the adjuster may simply have nothing new to tell you.

Many adjusters also prefer to have everything in front of them before initiating contact, so if one piece of information is stuck somewhere in the chain, the adjuster might be holding off on calling until the file is complete. In many insurance offices, the adjuster may even be required to wait until a supervisor signs off on a given claim before communication can commence, which can further drag this process along.

Sadly, however, delays can happen for underhanded reasons too. In fact, deliberately ignoring your communications is one of many tactics that insurance adjusters may use to put pressure on you. They may do this in the hope that you will drop the claim altogether or that you will accept the first settlement offer they finally extend, even if it isn’t enough to fully cover your losses.

What to Do When You Cannot Get a Call Back

While it’s far from uncommon for victims of car accidents to wait long periods of time before they hear back from the insurance adjuster assigned to their case, that doesn’t mean that you have no other option but to wait for their call. Many individuals worry that they might “annoy” their insurance adjuster if they attempt to contact them too many times, but in more cases than not, being proactive and making a consistent effort to contact them shows that you are serious about settling your claim quickly and fairly.

You should keep your own record of every attempt to contact the insurer, as this can help protect you if they later argue that you were difficult to reach or unresponsive. If you’ve already tried calling multiple times and still haven’t gotten in touch with the adjuster assigned to your case, make sure to leave them a voicemail noting the date, time, your name, and case number. If this doesn’t work, try other methods of contact, such as email or online messaging portals.

While you wait for a response, it’s equally important that you maintain organized records of anything relating to your case. If you haven’t done so already, gather photos, repair estimates, medical records, receipts, pay stubs showing lost wages, and any correspondence with the insurer or the other driver.

You’ll also want to take notes about the details of the accident as soon as possible to keep them fresh in your memory. This includes symptoms of your injuries as they progress, the date, location, and time of your accident, who was involved, nearby businesses and witnesses, and any other details you can remember.

The more evidence and documentation you have on hand, the less likely it is that the insurer will claim that they don’t have enough information to move forward. It will also protect your claim if the insurer disputes certain details in your statement.

When It’s Time to Talk to a Lawyer

It’s not unusual for insurance adjusters to take their time getting back to claimants, regardless of whether their intention is to put more pressure on the claimant to settle for less or because they simply need more time to process the claim. However, not everyone has the time or resources to wait weeks or even months before they even receive a settlement offer.

If this describes your situation, and you’ve made multiple attempts to contact the insurance adjuster with little to no response, it’s likely time to contact a lawyer.

The bottom line is that while it can take time to process a claim, there are laws in place that protect claimants from having to wait unnecessarily long, especially if these tactics are being used to diminish your right to a fair settlement. A local lawyer, especially, such as a car accident attorney Greenville SC, will be familiar with region-specific rules and can review your situation to see whether the insurer’s delay has crossed into unreasonable or inappropriate territory.

Even if this is not the case, simply having a lawyer contact the adjuster directly can often speed things up. Adjusters understand that ignoring an attorney can trigger formal complaints, closer scrutiny from their supervisors, or even potential bad-faith claims.

Another major advantage is the protection of your evidence and your timeline. The longer a claim sits untouched, the more vulnerable it becomes. Witnesses become harder to reach, repair shops dispose of damaged parts, and medical records grow more complicated. A lawyer ensures that your evidence is preserved, organized, and packaged in a way the insurer cannot ignore or dismiss.

Radio Silence is Frustratingly Common, But You Have Options

As a final note, even though it’s typical for insurance adjusters to take their time responding to your calls, that doesn’t mean that you’re required to wait indefinitely to get back to you. If you’ve made an honest attempt to get in touch with the adjuster assigned to your claim and bills are starting to pile up, there are options available to help speed things along.

Seeking professional legal help in these cases can make a noticeable difference in the outcome of your claim, in addition to preventing the claim from being stalled indefinitely.