Within days of a crash, you may get a friendly call from the other driver’s insurance adjuster asking to “get your side of the story” on a recorded line. It can feel like a routine step. It is not.
You Are Not Required to Give One
You generally have no legal obligation to give a recorded statement to the other party’s insurance company. Your own policy may require you to cooperate with your own insurer, which is a different situation.
How Recorded Statements Are Used
Adjusters are trained to ask questions in ways that produce useful answers for their company. Common goals include:
- Getting you to say you feel “fine” or “okay” before you know the extent of your injuries
- Locking in estimates of speed, distance, or timing that can later be used to assign you fault
- Learning about prior injuries or medical conditions to argue your pain came from something else
- Finding inconsistencies between your statement and later testimony
Having worked on the defense side, John V. Bell knows exactly how these statements are reviewed and used when a claim is evaluated.
What to Do Instead
Politely decline and say your attorney will be in touch, or simply take the adjuster’s contact information. You can confirm basic facts such as your name and the date of the crash without discussing fault or injuries. Then speak with an injury lawyer before saying more.
If an adjuster is pressing you for a statement, call The JVB Law Firm. The consultation is free, and we can handle communication with the insurance company for you.
This article is general information, not legal advice. Reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Every case is different; speak with a lawyer about your situation.