Insurance companies want to hear what happened before they’re willing to process a claim following a vehicle accident. It’s not uncommon, but you might wonder if you should give a statement to the insurance company of the driver who caused the accident. This is not your insurance company, and they are most assuredly not on your side regarding this accident. Someone else’s negligence is causing you a great deal of pain, suffering, trauma, and inconvenience, and all you want is to put an end to it all so you can move on. It’s not an uncommon feeling, but it’s one to be careful of. If you’re unsure what to do, who to talk to, and what to say following an accident when someone else is to blame, contact a personal injury car accident attorney to discuss your rights.
Insurance companies rely heavily on the fact they are professionals and you are not involved in the professional world of insurance or the law. They want you to feel they are doing all that’s right and well within the legal confines of the law when they might be tricking you into admitting fault or signing over your medical records. Talk to an attorney before you do anything.
Giving A Statement to the Other Party’s Insurance Company
To make this very clear, you are not legally obligated to provide a statement to the at-fault driver’s insurance company. You can, if you choose, but you are not required by law to do any such thing. You never know what the insurance adjuster is trying to uncover speaking to you, what they might say to get you to say something that’s not entirely accurate, or how they might ask you to provide your statement. All they want is one minor mishap on your part, one admission you didn’t see precisely what happened, so they can deny your claims.
If you happen to forget any detail of the statement you provided to the police, your memory has changed even a bit, or you become confused by distractions and the questions being asked, your statement could cause the insurance company to deny the claims you filed to have your car repaired, your medical bills paid, and more. It’s best to avoid giving this statement to the insurance company at all. You are well within your legal right to refuse to issue a statement, and there’s nothing they can do about that.
Liability Traps
The sad fact is many people will look for any small detail to get them out of taking responsibility for an accident or a payment. The insurance company of the person who caused this accident doesn’t want to pay you any money to cover the cost of your car repairs or your medical bills because their customer was irresponsible on the road. They want to get away with giving you as little as possible, and they want nothing to do with paying you what you’re due.
When the insurance company calls to request a recorded statement, it’s likely to trick you into saying something that wasn’t on your original statement, that might not be entirely true, or even to ask you about your medical diagnosis. If you do decide to give this statement, only talk about your medical symptoms. If you attempt to talk about the diagnosis the doctors gave you, you’ll say it incorrectly and forget minor details. You’re not a doctor will medical knowledge, but this statement could cause you to end up without a payout from the insurance company as it contradicts what’s previously been provided to the insurance company. Recorded statements are always a bad idea, and you’re not required to provide them.
Call an attorney. A personal injury and car accident attorney is your best bet when the insurance company of the other person is hounding you to provide a statement or giving you trouble with your claim. This attorney can be the liaison between you and the insurance company, and they can provide only what’s required. Far more important than what you say to the insurance company is the information you provide them. It’s easy to get caught up in trusting they know what releases they need signed when they don’t. Let an attorney guide you through this difficult process if it happens to you. Legal representatives can help you determine what’s right, what’s not, and what you should say when you are involved in an accident. If you happen to find they want more than you’re comfortable giving, your gut instinct is probably correct. Car accidents are serious, and they should be handled accordingly when they occur in your life.