If you’re involved in a car accident caused by another’s negligence, you may receive a call from an adjuster from the at-fault driver’s insurance company, asking you to provide a recorded statement. The insurance adjuster may seem pleasant on the phone, and his or her tone may immediately set you at ease, but you could be walking into an expensive trap.
Insurance adjusters work for insurance companies, which are for-profit businesses focused on one thing – their bottom line. In order to maximize profits, insurance companies actively seek ways to reduce and deny insurance claims. One extremely effective way they do this is by obtaining recorded statements from plaintiffs (injured parties).
No Recorded or Oral Statements
When an insurance adjuster asks a plaintiff for a recorded statement, they are looking for anything that can be used against them to reduce or deny the claim. An adjuster may look for inconsistencies in statements, or ask tricky and misleading questions to get what they want – they use a variety of tactics.
Because of this concern, you should never give a recorded statement without first obtaining advice from a personal injury attorney. Likewise, you should not provide an oral statement without speaking to an injury lawyer ahead of time.
Keep in mind that the insurance adjuster on the other end of the line is a trained professional who has probably taken hundreds, if not thousands of recorded statements all with the goal of finding a way to use the plaintiff’s words against them, whether that’s in a deposition, negotiations or a trial. For you, the plaintiff, this is your first recorded statement, so it’s much like walking into a carefully disguised trap.
What is the Purpose of Recorded Statements?
As someone injured in a car accident, it’s important to think about the purpose of recorded statements in the insurance agency. They are not used to help maximize your claim! On the contrary, the information is used against you. So, if you are asked to provide a recorded (or an oral) statement to the insurance company, you’re better off politely, but firmly saying “no” and seek the advice of a Marietta car accident lawyer from Jones & Swanson.
