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Recorded Statements
If you are involved in a car accident and make a claim to the insurance company, they may request that you make a recorded statement regarding the details of the accident. Patterson Legal Group, LC strongly encourages you to contact an attorney before making any statements.
If you decide to contact an attorney, they will discuss with you how to handle the statement as it applies to your case, specifically. The attorney will be able to stress the importance of certain facts and how best to respond to the questions during the recorded statement. Your attorney may also sit in with you personally or send someone along with you to help you prepare.
Most insurance companies have a clause in the contract which states during the claims process, you must cooperate with them. “Cooperation” generally includes providing this recorded statement (or at least a verbal statement – you can ask your insurance company if a verbal statement is sufficient). Should you refuse, they may stop paying your medical bills or covering you in some other way until you fulfill the cooperation clause.
In general, however, recorded statements are the insurance company’s method of getting your perspective on the accident. Should you choose to attend a recorded statement without contacting an attorney, it is important to be polite, honest, and succinct. If they ask you a question to which you don’t know the answer, you should simply tell them “I don’t know.” If they ask you to state a fact (such as “At what intersection did the accident occur?”), you should just respond with the fact and nothing more (“1st and Walnut”). You should not speculate about things that you do not actually know, launch into narratives, or answer questions to which you do not feel comfortable responding.
The most important things to remember are to prepare in advance so that you know the facts and are not nervous, cooperate as much as possible, and avoid speculating about things that you do not actually know. If you would like an attorney to assist you with whole insurance-claim process, feel free to contact the attorneys at Patterson Legal Group, LC at 1-888-687-2400.
