Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Give a Recorded Statement to Your Insurance Company
Following a car crash or another accident in which you were injured in Miami, you will most likely be contacted by your insurance company. The insurer will ask you to give them a recorded statement to discuss what happened to you and how your injury occurred.
Giving a Recorded Statement is a Mistake
Giving a recorded statement to an insurance company is a common mistake people make that can hurt their personal injury claim in the long run. A recorded statement is a video or audio interview conducted and recorded by an insurance adjuster to ask the claimant about their accident.
What many people do not realize is that insurance companies can rely on recorded statements to deny or undervalue personal injury claims, as anything you say in a recorded statement can be used against you.
Consult with a Miami Personal Injury Attorney Before You Give a Recorded Statement
Typically, insurance adjusters do not wait long to contact an injured person asking them to provide a recorded statement detailing how their injury occurred. Many adjusters are trained to use manipulative, deceptive, and other dishonest tactics to get people to admit fault during a recorded statement or say the things that could negatively impact their ability to receive compensation.
Any experienced personal injury attorney in Miami will tell you that you can refuse to give a recorded statement. In fact, it is advised to consult with an attorney before communicating with insurance adjusters.
Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Give a Recorded Statement
You may wonder, “What can possibly go wrong if I give a recorded statement to an insurance company?” Unfortunately, many people mistakenly believe that their insurance company is their friend who is trying to help recover the maximum amount. However, any insurance company is nothing more than a business that reaps enormous profits by denying and undervaluing claims.
Here are the top three reasons why you shouldn’t give a recorded statement to your insurer.
Your Recorded Statement Can Be Used Against You
When providing a recorded statement, you will be asked a plethora of questions about the accident or injury. Insurers take advantage of the claimant’s shock and stress following the accident, which is why they will look for any inconsistencies between your words and the police report. Anything you say while giving a recorded statement can be used against you. Your words can be twisted into something you didn’t mean to say.
You Have a Right to Refuse to Provide a Recorded Statement
Under Florida law, you are not required to provide a recorded statement to your insurance company if you do not want to. Unfortunately, some insurers use manipulative tactics to get a claimant to give a recorded statement (for example, by saying that giving a recorded statement would speed up the claims process).
You May Not Need to Establish Fault for Your Accident
Keep in mind that Florida is a no-fault auto insurance state, which means you do not need to prove that the other party was at-fault in order to recover damages. In Florida, your own insurance company pays your damages regardless of fault, which is why there is no reason to provide a recorded statement, especially if your injury is not serious.
Speak with a Miami car accident attorney before agreeing to provide a recorded statement to your insurer. Do not hesitate to contact our lawyers at Pita Weber Del Prado if your insurer is trying to use manipulation to get you to give a recorded statement. Call at 305-670-2889 for a consultation.
