Successful. Convenient. Friendly

  1. Home
  2.  » 
  3. Uncategorized
  4.  » Should you give a recorded statement soon after a crash?

Should you give a recorded statement soon after a crash?

On Behalf of | Feb 20, 2019 | Uncategorized

After a car accident, you may feel immensely stressed for days. If you suffered serious injuries in that accident, your stress may last much longer as likely will your pain. Though you may feel traumatized after the event, you may still have a considerable number of obligations to address, especially when it comes to handling the aftermath of the accident.

In particular, if another driver caused the accident that resulted in your injuries, you will likely want to pursue compensation for damages. Hopefully, the other driver had insurance coverage, which may cover your expenses. However, the insurance company may want you to provide a recorded statement about the event and its results, and you may wonder whether you should.

Recorded statements

In many cases, insurance agencies make recorded statements seem like standard procedure. They may even say they want to get your statement out of the way as soon as possible so as not to further inconvenience you. However, do not be fooled by their tactics. Insurance companies want to turn a profit, and they may try to get your statement as soon as possible so that they have evidence to use against you if you try to change your statement later.

Stories do change

You may feel insulted that the insurance company would think you would lie or try to change your story, but in reality, stories do often change. For instance, if you give your recorded statement before having a thorough medical exam to assess your injuries, you may state that you did not suffer any or only minor injuries. However, serious injuries do not always show themselves immediately, and if you said you did not suffer injuries but experience medical issues later, the insurance company may use the previous statement against you.

Insurance company representatives have a job to get as much information from you as possible as quickly as possible. As a result, they may try to simply act like your friend and get you to talk about the accident as much as possible. They may also ask questions to fish for more facts, or they could remain silent in hopes that you will fill that silence with information they may use in their assessment of your claim.

Avoiding statements

If this is the first time you have been in a serious car accident, you may not fully understand the necessary procedures involved with pursuing the compensation you deserve. Before giving any type of statement to insurance companies, it is wise to remember that you have legal options. If you enlist the help of a West Virginia attorney, you can have your legal counsel speak with the insurance companies on your behalf and help you avoid statement errors.

Archives