After a car accident, you will soon hear from one or more insurance adjusters. The insurance adjuster will gather information about the incident and determine if your claim is approved or not.
It is important to remember that the adjuster works for the insurance company and it is his or her job to protect the company’s best interests, not yours. This means that the information you give an insurance adjuster can and will likely be used against you in an attempt to lower your settlement, so be careful about what you say or do in order to protect your claim for compensation.
Our car accident lawyers in Fort Worth review the types of information to expect insurance adjusters to ask you for after an accident and how to respond back. For assistance with your claim, request a free, no obligation consultation with our legal team today.
Provide Personal Information
You do need to provide the insurance adjuster with some personal information, but keep details limited. The following is the only personal information you need to provide to the adjuster:
- Full name
- Telephone number
- Address
You may also tell the adjuster who your employer is and what type of work you perform but end the details there. There is no need to give him or her any information about your schedule, income or other work-related details.
Details of the Accident
The insurance adjuster is likely to ask you for a statement about how the accident occurred. Or, it may be more subtle than that, as they try to fish for details through conversation.
Only answer with the most basic facts about your accident:
- Where it happened
- When it happened
- Accident type
- The involved vehicles
- Identity of witnesses
If the adjuster pushes you for more details, simply state that the accident investigation is currently ongoing and you will discuss further details at a more appropriate time – this is done in your written demand for compensation, where accident details are included.
Description of Your Injuries
The insurance adjuster will ask about the injuries you sustained in the accident. Do not provide any details about your injuries. If you leave any information out, this could be used against you.
Also, so soon after your accident, your injury may not have been discovered yet. Or, the injury’s severity may turn out to be much worse than expected as you continue treatment. Do not give details on your injuries to prevent this information from being used to lower your settlement.
Request Access to Medical Records
An adjuster is likely to ask for access to your medical records. You should not allow this access. Relevant medical records are provided to the insurance company with your personal injury demand letter. Adjusters who ask for medical records access may be looking to see your complete medical records. They may look for other information from your medical history to use against you in your claim.
Provide a Recorded Statement
Oftentimes, insurance adjusters ask accident victims to make recorded statements. Or, he or she may ask if the conversation can be recorded. You may be told this is to help you later, but you should never agree to it. There is no legal obligation to allow your conversations to be recorded. Also, insurance adjusters are not legally allowed to record a conversation with you if you do not give permission.
People have a tendency to be more tense when they know what they say is being recorded. This can lead to errors in your statement. Once a statement is recorded, it becomes very difficult to correct or clarify at a later date. It is always better to use written correspondence with the insurance company.
If you are asked to give a recorded statement or allow a conversation to be recorded, simply decline. Be polite and firm, and simply state you are uncomfortable doing so now but will provide a statement in writing at a later date once you have complete information about the accident.
Learn More About Your Rights Today
If you were injured in a car accident, our team of attorneys at Anderson & Cummings will work hard to recover the maximum compensation you deserve for your medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering.
Request a free, no legal obligation consultation today and learn more about your rights. There are no upfront fees and payment is only due if we recover compensation for you.
Call (817) 920-9000 to get started on your claim today.