Should I Agree to Give a Recorded Statement to the Insurance Adjuster for the Negligent Driver Who Hit Me?

By Greg Kohn
Partner

If you’ve been involved in a New Jersey car accident, it won’t be long before insurance adjusters reach out requesting a statement. The adjuster will likely be very friendly and express concern for your well-being. They will probably relay that your recorded statement is all that is needed to finish processing your claim.  

New Jersey car accident attorneys warn you to be wary. Insurance companies don’t work for your interests, but rather their own. And that should leave you to wonder, “Should I give a recorded statement to the insurance adjuster for the negligent driver who hit me”?  

If you have yet to contact an experienced car accident attorney, now is the time. 

A General Rule About Insurance Adjusters and Car Accident Claims 

Insurance companies are in the money-making business, not the victim support business.  

The primary function of any insurance claims adjuster is to protect their company against losses by reducing or denying payments of filed claims.

Independent research by the IRC reveals that car accident victims represented by personal injury attorneys collect on average 3.5 times greater compensation than injured parties self-representing.  For this reason, adjusters make every effort to bypass a claimant’s legal counsel by contacting claimants quickly and directly to gather information that can be used to limit or nullify a car accident insurance claim.

Am I Required to Give a Recorded Statement to the Insurance Company?

You are not obligated to give a recorded statement to an insurance adjuster in New Jersey, it is not in your best interest to do so. Insurance adjusters use various tactics to lull injured parties into statements that are later twisted to support the insurance company’s reduced payment or denial of a claim. 

Consulting with your New Jersey car accident lawyer is key to understanding how recorded statements may be used against you in the claims process. 

3 Ways Insurance Companies Use Recorded Statements

Recorded statements are designed to be used against you in the claims process. Some ways recorded statements are used against you include:

  • Inconsistent Statements. If your recorded statement lacks details or varies from prior statements to law enforcement or witnesses, your credibility may be called into question, and your claim could be at risk.
  • Leading Questions.  Insurance adjusters often ask leading questions. These questions are designed to confuse important details regarding your injuries, or open doors linking your injuries to incidents unrelated to the injury accident. 
  • Early Settlements.  The full extent of your injuries and cost of treatment may not be readily apparent after a car accident. If you have settled with the insurance agency and later discover ongoing medical conditions, you will not be able to file another claim for additional compensation.

Further, injury victims are less likely to have retained legal counsel early on. It benefits insurance companies to work directly with a claimant, quickly toward settlement. 

You Need a Car Accident Attorney 

After a car accident, you will be hurt and confused. The last thing you should try to manage is a solo defense against the manipulative tactics of big-insurance. You need a New Jersey personal injury attorney who can protect you against manipulation by insurance companies. 

Contact us today and speak with one of our skilled New Jersey car accident attorneys about winning your case and getting the compensation you deserve.

About the Author
Greg Kohn is a partner at Nagel Rice and specializes in complex civil litigation cases, including professional malpractice, personal injury, class actions, wrongful death, products liability, and commercial litigation.  He has extensive experience representing clients in both state and federal court. Greg has tried many jury trials to verdict and has recovered over $50 million in settlements and verdicts in all types of personal injury matters including automobile accidents, wrongful death cases, slip and falls, and other catastrophic injury cases. Greg also handles medical malpractice cases, involving misdiagnoses, wrongful birth, and delayed cancer diagnosis. If you have questions regarding this article, you can contact Greg here.