Are You Obligated to Provide a Recorded Statement to an Insurance Company after Your Tampa Bay Area Car Accident?

The simple answer to the above question is, “No.” Generally speaking, if you are involved in a car accident in the Tampa Bay, Florida area, you are not required to give a recorded statement to an insurance company.

However, insurance companies may pressure you to do so. As a matter of fact, your own insurance company may say that your policy requires you to give a recorded statement after a car accident. Before you comply, tell your insurance company that you want to speak to your Tampa car accident lawyer before you give a recorded statement to any insurance company or adjuster. Then, call your lawyer to get his or her advice on the matter.

If the insurance company for the other driver asks for a recorded statement, you can refuse without question because you have no obligation to that company. Simply say, “I decline to give a recorded statement at this time,” end the conversation, and contact your lawyer for guidance.

The topic of recorded statements begs the question, why does an insurance company or adjuster want a recorded statement from you anyway, and why should you refuse? The insurance company and/or adjuster will likely say they want a recorded statement for their records, which they claim will help confirm the facts of your case and the extent of your injuries. They may also allege that a recorded statement will help them process your settlement faster and increase the money you receive in your settlement.

While there is always the remote possibility that the insurance company has good intentions, more often than not recorded statements are used to your disadvantage. Think for a moment about how a recorded statement could hurt your car accident injury claim. You may still be hurting from your injuries or on medication, seriously affecting your ability to communicate clearly. You may be asked confusing questions and give the wrong answer. You may forget important facts. You may go off on a tangent and say something contradictory. These errors are completely human, yet these human foibles are exactly what the insurance company may be hoping for.

The main problem with recorded statements is that you can never take them back. You can't add to them or subtract from them. They are down on the record permanently, ready to come back and damage your car accident injury case later.

If you have been in an auto accident with injuries in the greater Tampa Bay, Florida area and you need assistance with being reimbursed for your injury losses, please contact Tampa car accident lawyer Dale Appell, P.A. for a free consultation. Our clients come from all over Florida and beyond including Bradenton, Temple Terrace, St Petersburg, Tampa, Carrollwood, Palm Harbor, Clearwater, Sarasota, Dunedin, Hudson, and Dade City.