No, if you have been injured in an automobile, motorcycle, pedestrian, bicycle, or other type of accident in Los Angeles and you are asked to speak with an insurance adjuster, you do not have to give a statement. In fact, it may not be in your best interests to make a statement at all. You should consider speaking with an attorney before talking to anyone.
Normally, the way the process works is that after an accident, the insurance company will assign an adjuster to handle the case. The adjuster is responsible for interviewing people who have information on the accident, as well as the people involved directly in the accident. The insurance adjuster often records these statements.
While it may be understandable that an insurance adjuster would want to gather the facts of the accident afterwards, you should be aware that insurance adjusters are trained to get information that is favorable to the insurance company. They may ask you seemingly innocent questions with the ultimate goal of making sure that you do not get the fair amount of compensation to which you are entitled. Insurance companies make their money from taking in as many premiums as possible and paying out as little as possible.
Insurance adjusters often want to talk to accident victims immediately after the accident. While that may seem smart, so that they are getting the information while it’s fresh in the victim’s mind, often the victim may be focused on the pain and unable to make a good statement. Or, the victim may not be fully aware of all the injuries after an accident, which can make things difficult later.
If you have been injured in an accident in the Los Angeles area, you should speak to an attorney before speaking with any insurance adjuster. The attorney can help advise you on what is in your best interests. Call me, Conal Doyle, Los Angeles personal injury attorney at 310-385-0567. My team can help. Call today to learn more or to schedule a free consultation.