After a car accident, the at-fault insurance company’s adjuster will often call and ask to record a statement about the accident. They explain that this is all part of the process and that many people choose to give a statement. The injured party might think there’s no harm in giving their side of the story, so they agree to this statement. In general, this is a bad idea. If the insurance adjuster contacts you, tell that that all communication should go through your injury attorney. That will be the last time they contact you.
The reason they want to get this statement is to potentially use it against you later. The days after an accident can be hectic and people can misremember certain details. Or they may neglect to mention certain facts just because the memory is too chaotic. This is perfectly natural, but the insurance company will try to use to claim you have changed your story.
Ultimately, this will only present problems later in the case. The adjuster knows your story before they even try to record it, so there’s little to benefit from giving this statement. You are under no obligation to do so, so you should generally refuse this statement.
At Johnson Law, we have deal with insurance adjusters and know all their tricks. We also know how to counter them to keep your case moving as quickly as possible. Even if you have given a statement to the insurance company, we can aggressively fight to get you the money you need.
If you have been injured in Portland or anywhere in Oregon, we are to help. For a free consultation with an injury attorney, call Johnson Law today.
