Being involved in a car accident can leave you with physical and emotional injuries that may take months or years to heal. Part of this healing process involves receiving proper compensation to pay for your medical bills and make up for lost wages.
In most cases, this means injury victims will need to file a claim with the at-fault driver’s insurance company. It’s important to remember that insurance companies are businesses and will do anything they can to deny your claim.
Below, we discuss how an insurance company may use a recorded statement against you if you are filing a personal injury claim.
Recorded Statements Only Benefit the Insurance Company
The insurance company of the at-fault driver may try to contact you immediately after the accident. They do this to try to catch injury victims while they have their guards down. They may try to make it seem like you are required to give them a recorded statement.
However, it’s important to know that you are not legally obligated to give a recorded statement to the insurance company. In fact, doing so may negatively impact your claim in the following ways:
Your Statement Can Be Used Against You.
The insurance adjuster may initially say that this statement is nothing but a formality. However, anything you say can (and usually will) be used against you in order to disprove your claim. Because of this, it’s important to first speak with a personal injury attorney first and foremost.
The Extent of Your Injuries May Not Be Fully Apparent.
If you get a call from the insurance company within hours of your accident, they may try to ask you what injuries you sustained. You should avoid mentioning your injuries at all during this time period. Some injuries are not apparent until you receive a proper medical diagnosis or even as you try to return back to your normal life.
They Can Compare Your Statement to Previous Ones.
The insurance adjuster may call you multiple times after the accident. They do this in order to try and get you to contradict your own statement, making it seem like you are not telling the full truth. This can then be used to disprove your claim and make you seem less reliable and trustworthy.
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Even if you don’t agree to provide a recorded statement to the insurance adjuster, it’s important to remember that everything you say can still be documented. Because of this, be sure only to initially provide basic information, such as:
- Your full name and contact information
- Make and model of your car
- When and where the accident took place
After doing this, make sure to seek the assistance of an experienced personal injury attorney. The insurance adjuster will be looking for any inconsistencies in your story. Your attorney will work as your legal advocate and advise you on what information to provide to ensure the details are consistent.
If you’re injured in a car accident, turn to our Jackson legal team for help protecting your rights to compensation. We will use our knowledge, skills, and experience to fight hard for your rights and help you obtain a full financial recovery.
