Am I Required to Give a Recorded Statement to the Insurer?

August 19, 2020

Insurance companies often ask car crash victims to provide a recorded statement about the accident. They may tell the victim it will help speed up the process and allow them to resolve the claim more quickly.

However, the value of your claim could be limited by what is on the recording. That is why the insurance company may be pushing for you to give this statement. The insurance company’s goal is to resolve your claim quickly and pay out the least possible amount of compensation. They are also looking for any reason to deny your claim.

That said, do you still have to give a recorded statement?

Learn the answer to this question below and find out how an experienced attorney can help you protect the full value of your claim.

Why is the Insurance Company Asking for a Recorded Statement?

Your own insurance company or the other driver’s insurance company may ask you for a recorded statement. However, you can refuse the request from the other driver’s insurance company and it is unlikely it will hurt your claim.

On the other hand, your own insurance company may require you to provide a recorded statement about the accident and your injuries. That said, your policy may not require a recorded statement and may simply ask for a written statement.

You should ask the insurance company why they want a recorded statement and what your policy says about it. This is also something you can review with your Phoenix auto accident attorney in a free consultation. An attorney can go over what you should say and what you should not say to protect the full value of your claim.

Timing of a Recorded Statement

Your lawyer can also explain when you should give a recorded statement, as doing so too early in the process could hurt the value of your claim. More details will come to light as the insurance company and your attorney investigate the crash. If you make too many definitive statements in a recorded statement, they may be contradicted later.

For example, you may not feel a lot of pain in your back a few days after the crash, but things could get worse in the weeks and months that follow. If you do not identify back pain, you may have trouble obtaining compensation for the treatment and management of your pain.

Once you give a recorded statement, your claim can be limited by what you said. For example, if you say your injuries are not that serious or that you will be OK, the insurance company may use that as justification for reducing the value of your claim. They may be less inclined to provide fair compensation for future medical bills.

If you say something later in the process that contradicts what you said in the recorded statement, the insurance company may see you as untrustworthy. This may hurt your credibility and the insurance company may be harder to deal with.

There is generally not much benefit to providing a recorded statement, particularly if the statement is for the other driver’s insurance company. They have extra incentive to work against your best interests, as you are not one of their customers.

What to Say and What Not to Say

If you give a recorded statement, you need to be careful with what you say. If you are unsure about what you are being asked, ask for clarification. If you do not know the answer to a question, you can refuse to answer.

If the insurance company asks you whether you agree with a statement and you are not sure, you should not agree to it. Even an offhand comment like, “I guess so,” could come back to hurt you.

It is important to be consistent with all your statements. The insurance company will be looking hard for any inconsistencies in your statements. Insurance company representatives know how to mislead accident victims into saying things against their own interests.

These are all things you can go over with your lawyer, which is why it is so important to seek legal counsel.

Phillips Law Group is Here to Help. Call Today,

Personal injury victims often do not realize the insurance company is working against them. The people they talk to on the phone may sound nice and they may even say they are there to help.

However, the insurance company is not on your side. They are actively working against your interests, which is why it is important to have an attorney helping you.

At Phillips Law Group, our licensed attorneys have obtained hundreds of millions in compensation on behalf of our clients. Your initial consultation is 100 percent free of charge and there are no upfront fees for having us represent you.

Call 1-800-706-3000 to see how we may be able to help.