Statement to Insurance Adjuster for the At-Fault Driver?
I was in a car wreck last week. I spent five days in the hospital and am now recovering at home. I am getting a couple calls a day from the insurance adjuster for the driver that hit me. The message he left for me is that he wants to take a statement from me about how the wreck happened. Should I talk to him and give him a statement?
We do not recommend that our clients give a statement to the other driver's insurance company. There are several exceptions to this general rule, but even then we do not permit our clients to give a statement without adequate preparation for the interview.
We do not prepare our clients by telling them what to say or encouraging them to lie. In fact, just the opposite is true: we encourage our clients to tell the truth about the circumstances giving rise to the wreck, the nature and extent of their injuries, and everything else. Preparation is necessary because insurance adjusters are trained in asking questions, and may ask questions in such a way that the unprepared witness will make mistakes. These statements are almost always tape-recorded and can be used against the person in court.
Thus, I recommend that you talk to a lawyer before giving a statement.
