What Not to Say to the Insurance Adjuster

Insurance adjusters have been trained to do one thing – save their employers money. Using carefully laid out plans and phone calls, adjusters will say much of anything to limit potential liability after a motor vehicle accident. You might be in shock. You might be in pain. The one thing you should not be is ready to talk to them right away. The best way to avoid unintentionally hurting your case is speak with an attorney. If you don’t have that opportunity first, choose your words carefully and know what to say and what not to say.

Allowing a Recorded Statement – Insurance companies love to get statements in writing or otherwise recorded. Why is that you might ask? If you say something that even remotely hurts your case, the insurer will use it against you in the future. Just as likely, you might say something right after the collision and change your testimony slightly later. The insurer will pounce on the opportunity to impeach you at trial.

Saying You’re Sorry – No matter the circumstances, never admit fault or apologize after an accident. The laws regarding a motor vehicle collision are not as simple as they appear. Only once witness statements have been gathered and evidence has been reviewed is it possible to decide about liability. Don’t prematurely take fault!

Oversharing is Not Caring – Insurance adjusters will often play good cop when speaking with injured parties right after an accident to take them off their guard. Insurers hope that by playing nice they will gather valuable information that they would otherwise not receive. They will use that information to further their defense.

Guessing – Stick. To. The. Facts. Testimony in trial is given under oath, which means telling the truth. Guessing is akin to making up information just to please the person asking the question. When insurance adjusters ask you pointed questions, they are looking for you to hurt your case. By guessing, you hurt your chances of a good resolution by creating potential problems for the future.

Speaking with insurance adjusters – especially at the outset of your case might be necessary. Your first call should be to a personal injury attorney after your motor vehicle accident to avoid these complications in the first place. If you do speak with the insurance company, be sure to carefully think about your answers before giving up potentially valuable or hurtful information. The experienced team of litigators at the law offices of Magnuson Lowell PS have been uncovering insurance tricks and tactics for over thirty years. Call today for a free case evaluation!

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