When your phone rings shortly after an accident, the caller often sounds friendly and claims to be working for the other driver’s insurance company to help process your claim. While they may ask for just a few minutes of your time and state that the call must be recorded, you should know that the insurance company is not looking out for your interests. Their primary goal is to avoid a payout by finding any possible way to shift the blame for the accident onto you. Because giving a recorded statement to an adjuster can seriously jeopardize your chances of a fair settlement, you should hang up and call a lawyer instead.

The Trap of the Friendly Adjuster

Adjusters are professionally trained to sound helpful and act as though they are on your side, but offering to hear “your version of events” is simply a tactical maneuver. They often call when you are at your most vulnerable, perhaps while you are in physical pain, under the influence of medication, or still in shock, hoping you will say something that undermines your case. By using leading questions, they guide you into making statements you might not fully understand, all of which are recorded and kept in their files permanently to be used against you.

Why They Call So Fast

Insurance companies prioritize calling within hours of a crash because they want to speak with you before you have the chance to hire a lawyer or see a doctor. They understand that injuries often worsen over time, so they aim to capture a recording of you saying you “feel fine” immediately following the impact. If your back begins to hurt later and you seek hospital treatment, the insurance company will play that recording back to you to claim you are lying about your pain or that you were perfectly fine on the day of the accident.

How Adjusters Twist Your Words

Adjusters are experts at manipulating conversations, often taking innocent phrases and turning them into admissions of fault. It is vital to know what not to say to an insurance adjuster, as small shifts in meaning can have massive consequences:

• If you say, “I am doing okay,” they record it as an admission that you have no injuries.
• If you say, “The car came out of nowhere,” they record it as evidence that you were not paying attention to the road.
• If you say, “I am sorry this happened,” they record it as an apology where you took responsibility for the crash. Because a recorded statement serves as formal evidence, it is incredibly difficult to correct these perceived mistakes later in a court of law.

Refusing to Give a Recorded Statement

You have the legal right to say no, as there is no law requiring you to speak to the at-fault party’s insurer regarding the details of the incident. You can remain firm without providing details by using this script: “I will not be providing a recorded statement; please direct all future communication to my lawyer.” This simple statement ends the conversation and ensures that, once you have legal representation, the insurance company must speak to us rather than harassing you directly.

The Difference Between Insurance Companies

While your own insurance policy is a contract that requires your cooperation, you should still exercise extreme caution because even your own insurer prefers to keep their money. Allowing your lawyer to handle these calls ensures that you meet your policy requirements without inadvertently hurting your case. You should never speak to the other driver’s company, as they have no duty to you and exist solely to protect their own customer and their own wallet.

Protect Your Claim with Roberts Markland LLP

With 125 years of combined litigation experience, Roberts Markland LLP understands the specific tricks adjusters use during recorded statements. Sean Roberts and Clive Markland handle these cases personally rather than passing you off to a junior staff member. Our firm focuses on serious truck accidents, industrial injuries, and helping oil and gas workers across Houston, Denver, and Los Angeles. Because we work on a no-win, no-fee basis, you pay us absolutely nothing unless we successfully win your case.

Stop talking to the insurance company and let our experienced team do the hard work for you. Call Roberts Markland LLP today at 936-253-6182 to schedule your free consultation. Contact us now to secure your financial future.

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