The Role of Recorded Statements in Car Accident Cases

You might think that you have a good memory, but if asked to recall a conversation that you had with someone else, you probably could not repeat it verbatim. Even when you are telling your friend about a conversation you had with your crush yesterday, you are probably paraphrasing your crush’s words and your own at least a little bit. If, tomorrow, you tell your cousin about the same conversation, the wording of the version you tell your cousin will differ both from the original conversation and the account of it that you told your friend. Narrative descriptions are like a game of telephone, even when it is the same person telling the story multiple times. By contrast, recordings say the same thing every time you replay them. If someone records you saying something, there can be no doubt about what you said. Multiple interpretations of what you meant are possible, and these are sometimes the deciding factor in the outcome of criminal cases. When it comes to car accident insurance claims, you should be as careful about what you say as you would in a situation where everything you say can and will be used against you. Giving a recorded statement to an insurance claims adjuster after a car accident feels like a normal conversation, but it is actually a record of all the reasons for the insurance company to pay you less than you are requesting. If you have been seriously injured in a car accident, then before you give a statement to the insurance company, you should contact a Fort Lauderdale auto accident attorney.

Stick to Your Talking Points So the Insurance Adjusters Don’t Catch You on a Hot Mic

When you contact your car insurance company to file a collision claim, they will probably transfer you to a claims adjuster so you can give a recorded statement about the accident and your injuries. The claims adjuster will probably sound friendly and casual, and you will probably do most of the talking while the claims adjuster listens and asks follow-up questions.

Before you give the statement, you should write notes about what you want to say, and keep the notes in front of you during the call. The claims adjuster might ask you the same question multiple times, but you should answer the same way every time. Otherwise, the insurance company can claim that your answers are inconsistent and that this makes you less credible. Likewise, the claims adjusters might make small talk with you, but they are trying to get you to make it sound like your accident-related injuries are not very severe or to talk about pre-existing medical conditions. They are doing this to justify paying less on your claim, to argue that the medical expenses that are truly accident related are less than you say they are.

Set Up a Consultation Today

A personal injury lawyer can help you get adequate compensation on a car insurance claim.  Contact Boone & Davis in Fort Lauderdale, Florida or call 954-566-9919 to explore your potential recovery options today.

Source:

leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0700-0799/0768/Sections/0768.81.html