Insurance Taking Recorded Statements to Hurt First-Party Claims
Whenever you’re involved in a car accident and report it to your insurance company, they establish a first-party claim. It’s important to note that even though you pay your insurance company a premium to provide coverage, your insurance company has its own best interest at heart, and not yours. Indeed, the only thing they really care about is their money, and as such, they employ tactics to save themselves as much money as possible. One such tactic is requesting recorded statements to hurt first-party claims. By taking a recorded statement, an insurance company will seek to undermine or deny your claim, regardless of how evident or sympathetic your situation is.
What are Recorded Statements?
Recorded statements are when an insurance company asks you questions and audio records everything you say. In a recorded statement session, an insurance adjuster will ask you questions regarding your accident and the injuries you sustained. The adjuster may try to catch you off guard by asking you vague or specific questions for which you do not have definitive answers. They mainly craft these questions to get the information they can use against you in settlement negotiations or court. The purpose is to make you sound doubtful so that they can cast your claim as unreliable and lower its value.
Are You Required to Give First-Party Recorded Statements?
Most insurance policy contracts include a cooperation clause, which requires the insured party to provide whatever information the insurance company needs to investigate the claim.
Beware of Insurance Adjuster’s Tricks
As soon as you report a claim to your insurance company, insurance adjusters will reach out to you and pretend to be your friend. No matter how sympathetic they seem, their primary goal is to save every dime that the insurance company has. As such, they will likely ask you for a recorded statement wherein they’ll ask you tricky questions to undermine your claim. It’s important to note that your insurance company is not your friend and avoid falling prey to their tactics.
Tips to Protect Yourself While Talking to The Insurance Adjuster
Here are some tips to protect yourself while giving a first-party recorded statement:
- Retain an attorney to help you prepare for your recorded statement.
- Do not admit fault or liability.
- Avoid volunteering information that was not asked for.
- Resist the urge to over-explain your responses.
- Be as brief as possible.
- Do not answer any questions if you are unsure about the answer.
- Always stick to the facts and don’t allow the adjuster to manipulate your words.
- Do not sign or agree on anything unless you have it reviewed by your attorney.
Always seek assistance from your attorney before you consider providing any statement to the first-party claim adjuster. A competent attorney will inform you of your legal rights and point out the factors that may affect your claim.
Let Our Law Firm Help You Deal With First-Party Claim Adjusters
Are you looking to file a first-party claim for Nevada car accident? Nevada’s top-rated personal injury law firm, Roebuck Law Firm, can deal with the insurance company and advocate for your best interests. We can help prepare you for your recorded statement and defend you during it. Please call us for a free consultation today at (702) 620-5000.
