Do not be surprised if the insurance adjuster for the driver who caused your auto accident contacts you within days of the crash. This often happens—especially if the insurance adjuster is worried that his driver faces liability for your injuries. One of the first things adjusters typically ask victims to do is to give a recorded statement. Do not make a mistake in your case by agreeing to this. Here’s why you want to say no to this request.
Why You Do Not Want to Agree to a Recorded Statement
A recorded statement is a question-and-answer session with the insurance adjuster which is taped and later made into a written document.
The insurance adjuster may make it seem like he needs it to process your claim. However, this is not true. You are not required to give a recorded statement, and it is rarely helpful to your claim. Here’s why you should never agree to these recorded statements:
- Statements can be used against you. The reason the adjuster wants to take your statement is not to help pay your claim. He is looking for statements you make that he can use against you later—including at a possible trial. Even if you have nothing to hide, you may say something you did not mean or something slightly inconsistent with what you told the police—and that can be used against you.
- Your words can be twisted. Adjusters are experts at taking recorded statements because they do them so frequently. They are trained to ask confusing and misleading questions that could lead to an answer that can hurt your case.
There are many ways you could say something that could come back to haunt you. These inadvertent mistakes include:
- You might forget to discuss an important detail.
- You could say something incorrectly.
- You could answer a question incorrectly either because you did not understand it or did not think through your answer before talking.
- You may give additional information that the adjuster does not need that provides ammunition for denying or reducing your claim.
Steps You Should Take If You Are Asked to Give a Recorded Statement
You should take these simple steps if you are asked to give a recorded statement: Politely refuse to give one, obtain the adjuster’s contact information, and inform him that you will have your attorney contact him. Then retain an experienced car accident attorney who can help you negotiate your settlement.
If you did give a recorded statement, you did not ruin your case. Your lawyer will have worked with other clients who made a similar mistake. Make a good decision today and start an online chat to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation to learn how our firm can assist you.