If you have recently been involved in a car accident, you are likely in contact with the insurance company for the other driver. Often, the adjuster for the at-fault driver’s insurance company will tell you that they need a recorded statement from you in order to understand your side of the story. You may be wondering if you must give a recorded statement for an insurance claim.
The adjuster may even indicate that they cannot open a claim until they have your recorded statement. However, it is not a prerequisite in order to get a claim moving.
Actually, the adjuster is looking to record your version of events in order to lock in your testimony early on. The recorded statement can be used against you later should you recall additional events even if there were questions you didn’t understand or that were misleading. This recorded statement can, and will, be used against you later in the process.
Keep in mind who you are dealing with
This may be your first accident and the first time you have ever made a claim for insurance coverage. You are simply using insurance for what it is intended, to insure a loss. In this case, your loss.
The insurance company, however, may be a big business. In business to make money. Very simplified, the way an insurance company makes money is to collect more in premiums than it pays out in claims. One way to accomplish this is to ensure that they pay as little as possible on each claim regardless of the claim’s validity.
What to do if the adjuster insists on a recorded statement
The insurance adjuster can learn the same information during an unrecorded interview as they can during a recorded statement. They adjuster can ask the same questions and you can give the same answers. The only difference is the lack of a recording for later use. This interview without a recording, evens the playing field putting you both on equal footing.
Also, most attorneys offer a free consultation. Take one up on their offer. Talk with an attorney about your situation and evaluate whether you need their help before giving a statement.
The insurance company is set up and equipped to handle your claim; you also should be prepared to put your best claim forward. Ensuring that you receive full compensation for your harms and losses after a car accident may mean hiring an attorney. If you are need of help in this area, Chelsie King Garza can help.
