If you were injured in an auto accident caused by another driver’s negligence in DC, Maryland or Virginia, the reasons to quickly retain an experienced personal injury attorney are too many to count. One of the many reasons is to guarantee that the liable party’s insurance company stops any attempt to contact you about the accident directly.
Unfortunately, personal injury victims are not always in a position to immediately contact an attorney after an accident. Insurance companies know this and will always try to jump on any opportunity to take advantage of a vulnerable and unrepresented victim in an attempt to either quickly settle the claim or to obtain a recorded statement that might hurt their claim down the road.
Insurance companies have one goal: to make and save money. That means building cases against auto accident victims from the get-go that diminish the value of their claims. Giving a recorded statement helps the insurance company, not you. Why else would they ask? A recorded statement is taken under oath, meaning that statements made during the recording may be used as evidence against you later on in the case.
Remember, DC, Maryland and Virginia follow the harsh contributory negligence rule If you make any misstatement or give any indication that your actions contributed in any way (even just 1%), then that evidence will be used to prove that you are not entitled to compensation.
The insurance company will also ask questions about how you are feeling, whether or not you sustained any injuries, and, if so, what those injuries are. The reality is an auto accident victim’s awareness of any injury, or the extent of any injury is often limited in the first days after an accident. Symptoms related to injuries suffered in an auto accident can develop and worsen several days after the accident when adrenaline levels stabilize and a victim attempts to get back to their normal lives. Insurance companies want to pin a personal injury victim down on his/her statements made shortly after the accident and will inaccurately use them to invalidate their subsequent claim for injuries.
Do not fall victim to the insurance company’s tactics! Even if not represented by a personal injury attorney, a car accident victim is NOT required to provide a recorded statement to the liable party’s insurance. When asked if you are willing to give a statement to another driver’s insurance about the accident… just say no.
The exception to this rule is when your own insurance company asks that you provide a recorded statement. You have a contractual obligation with your insurance company to cooperate in the investigation of accidents that you are involved in. Still, there is no requirement that you immediately provide a statement at their request. It is wise to hold off until you have hired a personal injury attorney who can not only be present during the recorded statement but who can also prepare you for any potential landmines anticipated.
The DC, Maryland and Virginia personal injury attorneys at Krum, Gergely & Oates work tirelessly to protect auto accident victims from being taken advantage of by insurance companies. When a personal injury victim chooses us to represent them, our team immediately sends letters of representation to all insurance companies involved. This makes sure that we are quickly and notably in a position to act as a barrier between the insurance company and our clients, allowing our clients the opportunity to focus on their health after an accident.
If you were injured in an auto accident caused by the negligence of another driver in DC, Maryland, or Virginia, contact the attorneys at Krum, Gergely & Oates for a free case evaluation today.