BAM! You’ve been in a car accident and suddenly the world feels like it has turned upside down. You may be injured and in pain. Your car could be wrecked to the point of being undriveable. You may confront a seemingly never-ending schedule of doctors’ appointments, lab testing appointments, physical therapy appointments, and more. On top of all of this, the phone calls from insurance companies are going to start rolling in almost immediately after the accident. What you say and do not say to an insurance company can have a huge impact on any claim you may choose to bring as a result of an accident. Should you give an insurance company a statement after an accident? Well, it depends. We’ll talk more about that here.
Should You Give an Insurance Company a Statement After an Accident?
First, you should know that you are likely contractually obligated to talk to your own insurance company after an accident. As such, you should absolutely give them a statement after you have been in an accident. Failure to do so will likely result in cancellation of your coverage and denial of any claims you bring with your own insurance company after an accident. An insurance company for another party to the accident, however, is a whole other story.
You have no legal obligation to give an insurance company other than your own a statement following an accident. That does not mean that other insurance companies will not try to get you to give a statement. Under most circumstances, it is not recommended that you give another insurance company a statement. Why? Well, these insurance companies will be looking for any gaps in your statement. They will be looking for anything you say to turn against you later on and use it to undermine or outright deny any claim you may choose to bring in the future. As such, it is almost always the case that giving a statement to another insurance company will work to help them and hurt you. That is why it is not usually advisable.
In some rare cases, however, you may want to give another insurance company a statement and you will have to give your own insurance company a statement pursuant to your policy contract with them. Regardless of which insurance company you are speaking to, you should cautiously approach the situation. Only answer the questions you are asked. Think before responding. Keep your answers short and to the point. Do not speculate. If you do not know the answer to a question, simply say you do not know. Do not try to guess at an answer. This can only lead to trouble and conflicts in information later on.
Personal Injury Attorney
After an accident, get dedicated legal representation. The team at BoyesLegal, APC will deal with the insurance companies so that you do not have to. You should be focusing on your recovery and your health. Let us fight the legal battles for you. That’s what we do. Contact us today.