Should I Give a Recorded Statement to an Insurance Company?

No law in California says victims injured in an accident must give a recorded statement to any insurance company. Insurance companies’ sole purpose is to profit by giving their customers the least possible amount. They employ a variety of tactics to avoid paying large settlements even if the client fairly deserves it. Using records statements against the plaintiff is one such trick that insurance adjusters utilize to deny or lower the claim value.

Whether you have been injured in a car accident, slip & fall, or any other accident caused by someone else’s negligence, consult a competent personal injury attorney to protect yourself from the pitfalls of giving a recorded statement to an insurance company. Let’s learn how a recorded statement can hurt your injury claim.

Risks of Giving a Recorded Statement to an Insurance Company

Directly speaking with insurance companies without legal representation presents many risks. Their insurance adjusters may mislead you into thinking that providing a recorded statement is necessary. However, you are under no obligation, whether it’s your own or the other driver’s insurer. During a recorded statement, there is a significant chance that you might give information that could harm your claim. Some of the risks plaintiffs may face are:

• Ask Tricky Questions: The adjuster may try to catch you off guard by asking you vague or specific questions to which you do not have definitive answers to make you sound uncertain and may cast your claim as unreliable.
• Use Information To Deny Claim Or Undermine It: The insurance adjusters craft their questions to get the information you are not legally obligated to disclose at that time and may use these statements against you in settlement negotiations or court to deny or lower your claim’s value.
• May Make You Admit Fault For The Accident: They’ll ask a variety of tricky questions in a way to make plaintiffs admit fault or, if not, put partial blame upon them.
• Coax To Accept Lowball Settlement With Inaccurate Injuries: Accident victims unaware of the severity of their injuries may provide the insurance adjuster with inaccurate information. Insurance adjusters are infamous for taking advantage of situations like these to their benefit. They will trick you by making a lowball settlement offer.

Get Top-Rated Legal Advocates on Your Side

Have you suffered injuries due to someone else’s carelessness in a Sacramento accident? Get United Citizen Law’s top-rated Sacramento personal injury lawyers on your side and avoid dealing with them alone. With an experienced attorney dealing on your behalf, insurance companies will fail to take advantage of your lack of knowledge in the matter. Call us for a free consultation at 916-758-9773.