In this Legal Minute Video, TWWHB associate, Shelby Savage, will talk about recorded statements requested after an accident, and the reason you need to know WHO is asking you to give the recorded statement—your own insurance company or that of the at-fault driver (or adverse party in a different kind of accident). This matters greatly as each side of the dispute has very different motives to ask you questions. This will not be a casual phone conversation. You should be prepared and aware of what they will ask you and how your answers could impact you. If you're asked to give a recorded statement, the best thing you can do is immediately contact an experienced accident attorney to help you.
At TWWHB our mission is to help you. If you have a question about your legal rights, contact one of our attorneys and ask your question. More often than not we see our clients do things that they thought were in their best interest, but they end up unknowingly making their claim more difficult. We're here to help you and guide you. Our attorneys would love to answer your questions. Contact us.
QUESTION:
If you are asked to give a recorded statement
after a car accident, you need to know:
WHO is asking you to give the statement?
Your own insurance company or that of the
at-fault driver's? This matters.
ANSWER:
If an insurance company asks you for a recorded statement, the first thing that you have to do is figure out who is on the other end of that line. Because your insurance company and the insurance company of the other driver have very different roles, and if they're asking for a recorded statement, it means that they're not just looking for a casual phone call. A recorded statement can be used against you later.
Now under your policy, you might have some obligations that would require you to give a recorded statement. But if this is the other driver's insurance company calling you, you may not have those obligations. So that's really important to determine.
And that's one reason that hiring an attorney can be helpful. Because we can not only help determine if you do actually have to give the recorded statement, but we can help also prepare you for the types of questions that might be asked, and help you understand the process that's happening behind the scenes.
So, the takeaway is simple. If someone calls you and they're asking for a recorded statement, the first thing that you have to know is whose asking for it. Is it your insurance company or the other driver's because that's what's really going to make a difference.