Should I Give a Recorded Statement to an Insurance Company After a Car Accident?
Being in a car accident can be a traumatic event. In addition to the property damage caused to your vehicle, you may suffer physical injuries, financial losses, and other damages. Under California’s personal injury laws, you are entitled to file a claim against the at-fault driver for compensation. However, you must prove the driver caused the accident. A West Covina auto accident attorney can help you gather evidence to prove the other driver was at fault. These kinds of cases can be confusing and you may want to consult with a West Covina car accident attorney.
Filing an Injury Claim Against the Other Driver
When you file a claim for damages against the other driver, that driver’s car insurance provider processes your claim. Insurance companies are notorious for taking any measures to deny injury claims or undervalue injury claims. Therefore, you must be incredibly careful when communication with the insurance company, its adjuster, or other representatives. The information you supply or the things that you say could be used against you to deny or undervalue your claim.
What is a Recorded Statement in a Car Accident Case?
One of the tactics used by many insurance companies is to request a recorded statement. The adjuster may attempt to convince you to provide a recorded statement, especially before you consult with a West Covina auto accident attorney. Once you consult with an attorney, the attorney will likely advise you against providing a recorded statement until you are required to provide a deposition or testify in court.
Accident victims have been tricked into providing recorded statements. An adjuster may tell the person that the company cannot process the claim until it has a statement. The adjuster may claim that providing a recorded statement will speed up the settlement process so that the person can receive their money quickly. Regardless of the reason why the adjuster wants you to provide a recorded statement, it is in your best interests to consult with a West Covina car accident attorney before doing so.
How Can A Recorded Statement Hurt My Accident Claim?
Insurance adjusters have extensive training and experience in asking questions that may lead to a misunderstanding. For example, the adjuster is friendly and chatty during the recording. He asks you what you were doing the morning of the accident. You innocently tell the adjuster that you overslept because you worked a late shift and you were in a hurry to get the kids to school on time.
Working a late shift, sleeping late, and driving the kids to school may have had absolutely nothing to do with the cause of the accident. However, the insurance company may argue that you were drowsy and rushed, which contributed to the cause of the accident. Under California’s comparative fault laws, your compensation could be greatly reduced if the insurance company convinces a jury you were driving while drowsy and you were speeding because you were in a hurry.
Call a West Covina Car Accident Attorney For More Information
The above example is just one of many reasons why you want to consult with a West Covina car accident attorney before providing a recorded statement. Contact the experienced car accident attorneys at Deldar Legal today. Our attorneys and legal staff offer free consultations, so you can get the information you need about filing an injury claim following a car accident.
Posted in: Auto Accidents