It’s Not a Good Idea to Give a Statement to an Insurance Company After a Crash

In the immediate aftermath of a car accident, your first priority is tending to any injuries you sustained and your physical recovery. You are traumatized and not likely not thinking about insurance matters straight away. So when a representative for your auto insurer or another driver’s insurer contacts you in the days immediately following a crash and attempts to question you, you’re in a vulnerable state. Should you give a statement to the insurance company in this situation? In nearly all cases, it is rarely in your interests to do so.

As a party or witness to an auto accident, you have no obligation to speak with anybody besides a police officer. It doesn’t matter whether they are from an insurance company, lawyer’s office, or somewhere else.

It’s common practice for many auto insurance adjusters to call a person involved in a car accident to ask them questions about how the accident happened and what injuries they sustained. While these questions may seem innocent, they are coming from the company that will likely be responsible for paying you compensation for your injuries. Insurance companies often use these statements against you in order to minimize the value of your case and offer a low claim settlement, or even to reject your claim altogether. Consequently, most personal injury attorneys strongly advise against giving any statements following a car accident.

Let an Experienced Florida Accident Lawyer Deal with Insurers on Your Behalf

Instead of speaking with the insurance company, you should write a letter of notification to the at-fault driver’s insurer notifying them of the accident. Include only your name, date and location of the accident, the nature of your injuries, and the date of the letter. Also remember that when giving a statement to a law enforcement officer or the other driver after an accident, never admit fault, even if you think you might have been at fault. Police reports become part of the case record, and this and any other statement you make could be used by the insurer against you at a later point.

After sending the notice letter, allow your attorney to deal with the insurance companies. They will know how much information is necessary to turn over. Giving away too much information, such as a medical authorization form, may harm your chances of receiving a fair settlement.

One of the benefits of having an attorney represent you in an accident case is that once you have legal representation, the insurance company cannot contact you directly. If they want to ask you questions, they must go through your lawyer. At the Pawlowski//Mastrilli Law Group, we work with your best interests in mind and won’t let an insurance company get an unfair advantage because they wish to get information from you.

Our Tampa car accident attorneys have experience handling cases involving almost every insurance company operating in the Sunshine State. We know how to deal with insurance defense attorneys. We know the tricks these companies use to reduce the amounts they are obligated to pay you. Contact our office today so we can put you on the road to receiving the compensation you deserve.

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