After being injured in an accident, you may receive a call from an insurance company requesting a recorded statement about your version of events. Although providing a statement may help speed up the claims process, it could hurt your ability to recover fair compensation for your injuries and damages.
That is why it is important to seek legal help to avoid making statements that could devalue your claim or cause the insurance company to deny it. The experienced lawyers at Sigman Janssen are prepared to review your situation, explain your legal rights, and give you clear and honest answers about your claim in a free consultation.
Why Insurance Companies Want Recorded Statements
Insurance companies have a duty to investigate claims that are made against their insured drivers. They want to get your side of what happened. However, many insurers want a recorded statement so that they can find any evidence to use against you.
They may lead you during the conversation to make damaging statements that make you sound guilty, inconsistent or less truthful or try to use an innocuous statement like “I am fine” against you to suggest that your injuries are not serious as you claim.
Consequences of Making a Recorded Statement
Most people are not trained to provide guarded yet accurate statements. Unfortunately, insurance companies are aware of this and often try to take advantage of the situation. They may contact you when you are not feeling well and convince you to give a recorded statement.
Accident victims may hurt their claims by:
- Misspeaking out of nervousness
- Minimizing their injuries
- Providing more information than necessary
- Providing inaccurate information due to lack of knowledge, not understanding the question or being under the influence of pain medication
- Admitting fault for all or a portion of the accident
- Committing to an answer that is later disproven by other evidence involved in the claim
Things to Consider If You Decide to Give a Statement
There is no law requiring you to give a statement, whether recorded or not. However, there are certain things you can do to protect your injury claim, should you decide to provide a statement to an insurer:
- Request that your statement not be recorded
- Provide concise and factual statements
- Avoid giving opinions or making guesses
- It is fine to say “I do not know” or “I do not remember” if this is an honest answer
- Be truthful even if you think it may hurt your claim
- Do not minimize or exaggerate your injuries
- Only answer the question being asked
- Do not agree to release your medical records by signing a release form
Contact Our Firm for More Information
Learn more about how to protect your rights by contacting a qualified Appleton personal injury lawyer from our firm. We know the tactics companies often use to discredit claims after an accident and are prepared to seek maximum compensation on your behalf.
Our consultations are free and there is no obligation to move forward and no upfront fees unless you are compensated for your injury.
We are here to help. Contact us today at (877) 888-5201.
