If a client is involved in either a truck or car accident or even as a pedestrian hit by a car sometimes they ask us a crucial question.
Are they required to give a recorded statement to the at fault insurance company?
In order to make a claim for $$ damages what must the injured victim do?
Everyone knows a person who is not represented by an attorney is fair game for an insurance company.
And the insurance adjusters can be relentless with their phone calls.
Very annoying phone calls.
I have heard stories of the insurance company for the other side telling the unrepresented client they HAVE to give a statement to them.
Wrongo!
In fact what we tell our clients in auto accidents, slip and falls, pedestrian or passenger accidents is that they should NOT give a statement to the other side.
Want to guess why?
You know the answer.
The insurance company will then turn anything you say in the statement to their advantage and against you.
Want an example?
The insurance adjuster calls you up.
They are nice on the phone.
They ask you if they can record the conversation and you say yes.
At the beginning of the recorded statement they ask you how you are doing today?
Most people know that this is just a common courtesy and you almost always say fine.
So maybe you say that in the recorded statement.
You can see where this is going.
6 months later when you are trying to get your your car injury case settled they bring up your recorded statement.
Of course they bring it up to use it against you.
They say 6 months ago right after the accident you said you were doing fine in your recorded statement.
Pittsburgh car accident and recorded statement attorney Bernie Tully wishes he could tell you this is an exaggeration. Unfortunately it is not.
The insurance company will do anything they can to torpedo your injury case.
That is why we tell clients that they are not required to make a recorded statement to the other side.
The problem of course is if you wait to retain Pittsburgh car attorney and first party statement attorney Bernie Tully until 30 days after the accident, you may have already given the recorded statement to the other side.
By that time you may have unknowingly given the insurance company a bullet to use against you.
A final reason to contact Pittsburgh car accident and first party statement attorney Bernie Tully immediately after an injury is that we will stop the insurance company from calling you continuously.
1 letter from us will do the trick.
Trust me it works.
Go PENS!
Your friend and attorney BERNIE TULLY