When you’re involved in a vehicle accident, you should expect the at-fault driver’s insurance company to request a recorded statement. Before you comply, you should speak with an experienced attorney.
Recorded Statement Risks
Insurance company adjusters use recorded statements to establish fault in a vehicle accident case. While they may tell you that giving your side of the story protects you or leads to a faster claim resolution, this recorded statement can be used against you in several ways:
- Your account of the collision may be inaccurate or incomplete. Vehicle accidents are often traumatic, and the emotional turmoil they cause can result in incomplete or inaccurate memories of the event. If these memories are included in your recorded statement, they may undermine your case.
- You can’t predict the future. As time passes, you may discover your collision has caused more harm than you originally believed. You might feel fine in the immediate aftermath of the accident, only to later discover you’ve sustained serious injuries. If you tell the insurance adjuster that you weren’t hurt in the crash, your recorded statement may be used as an excuse to deny your claim.
- You’ll be subjected to the insurance company’s tricks. The insurance company adjuster may attempt to convince you that your claim isn’t worth as much as you think it is. Adjusters know how to ask just the right questions in a particular way. These queries are intended to undermine your claim by encouraging you to downplay your injuries or accept some responsibility for the accident.
Speaking With the Adjuster
The insurance adjuster isn't your friend, and agreeing to provide a recorded statement can damage your claim. Later correcting or expanding on what you’ve previously stated may be difficult, if not impossible.
Before you give a recorded statement to the insurance company, you should consult an experienced personal injury attorney. To learn more, contact the law offices of the Scott Ray Law Firm by using the form on this page.
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