Giving A Recorded Statement

After the initial claim is filed, a request often comes for a recorded statement, usually before the property damage is resolved. This recorded statement is used to help the insurance company adjuster determine if they are going to accept responsibility for the accident. Is your recorded statement important? You bet it is. Anything you say can either help or hurt your claim. I sincerely believe that you should not give a recorded statement without advice and guidance from a Board Certified Personal Injury attorney. Time and time again, I have seen accident victims hurt their case early on by giving recorded statements on their own. The adjuster who is asking the questions is a trained professional who knows how to ask questions and knows how to try to solicit information which will help his employer (the big insurance company) save money. After all, the insurance company is in the business of making money and the less they pay you, the more money they make. Do you really think the insurance adjuster is watching out for your best interest?

These statements sometimes take only a few minutes, but sometimes they are very detailed and last much longer. The adjuster usually asks about the accident and your injuries, which sounds reasonable. But they oftentimes follow scripts written in a manner to ask the same question different ways. I personally think some of the questions are very tricky and an injured person should be very careful on how they answer it. If I am hired and my client has already given a recorded statement, the first thing I do when I give the insurance company notice that I have been retained is to request a copy of the recorded statement (You have a right to get a copy). I am always anxious to see what was said in the statement.

If you have questions about a recorded statement or anything about the claims process, please feel free to call metoll free at 877.294.1115 for a free consultation or you can Contact Me Online.