Insurance adjusters will frequently ask you to make recorded statements as part of the claims process in your accident case. However, if you will be filing an injury claim and it’s the other party’s adjuster that wants you to make the recorded statement, you should give serious consideration to saying no. You are under no legal obligation to make a recorded statement, and in some cases, doing so can actually be harmful to your case.
Here’s an overview of what you should know.
Recorded statements and their dangers
Keep in mind that if you give a recorded statement to the defendant’s insurance company, your very words may come back to haunt you later in your case, especially if your language wasn’t as precise or clear as you wanted it to be. Keep in mind that the adjuster taking the statement is a professional who will be able to guide the conversation as they wish and pull out information that will damage your case.
If the adjuster says you must comply and give a statement, do not listen—there is no duty to do so. While you may be required to comply with your own insurance provider, there’s nothing that says you need to do so with the defendant’s.
Ultimately, our advice is almost always to avoid giving recorded statements to an insurer, as it will rarely be helpful to your case, especially if you are not represented by an attorney.
For more information about dealing with insurance adjusters and protecting your claim, contact a knowledgeable Bradenton, FL personal injury lawyer at Goldman, Babboni, Fernandez & Walsh.