In the world of personal injury, insurance companies play an important role. If someone causes an event, like a car accident, that results in an injury, it is likely that the other individual has insurance, and that policy is a promise to pay in the event of an accident.
It is critical to understand that insurance companies are businesses. Their primary goal is to make money. Anything that is lawful and results in them paying less is a welcome advantage to them, and that could include your recorded statements.
If you speak with them and do not know what you are doing, lack knowledge or are under-informed, you may say something that the insurance company can use to reduce the amount of compensation they owe you, or they can even go so far as denying your claim altogether.
Unfortunately, because insurance companies are businesses and the goal of anyone who works for them is to help make more money, they often use strategies that involve:
- Asking leading questions that include assumptions
- Taking what you say out of context and misquoting you
- Taking certain statements you say as admitting fault
Keep in mind that insurance companies will pressure you into giving a statement. They may display a sense of urgency where there isn’t one, and they can try to make you feel a certain way so they can get their way.
Do not give any statements to insurance companies. They can use them against you in court. Once you say something, especially in writing, or if you have evidence of something and an insurance company has copies of that, it could all be over for you and you could get nothing.
What should you do instead?
Take the time you need to write your version of events in chronological order. If you have evidence, include that and contact a personal injury lawyer who will advocate for you and do whatever it takes to get the most out of the insurance company.
Speak with your attorney and let them know everything you wrote and give them all the evidence so they can begin preparing to either respond to a personal injury lawsuit or sue themselves. They know exactly what to do under these unfortunate circumstances and you want someone on your side to protect you and ensure they do not take advantage of you.