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Releasing Statements After an Accident | Cincinnati Auto Accidents

Anthony Castelli | 828 Views | 04/21/2015

Releasing Statements to Insurance Providers

One of the first things that I know that insurance companies do when they hear that someone was involved in a car accident, and they may have been injured, is they will call that person up and they may befriend that person in an effort to get a statement from them. How do you approach that situation and how do you advise clients when it comes to talking with an insurance company or not talking with an insurance company?

Well, when a person has been in a car accident, Jonathan, and the question you’re posing is what should they do when the insurance company, for the person that caused the accident, calls them up? And, I might be a little different than some attorneys.

Speaking to Insurance Companies

My standard advice is you can give them some limited information and you certainly do not want to be recorded. And the reason for that is if it was a significant accident and your car has been towed somewhere, the insurance company has no clue where your car is. They need to be able to adjust your car damage, and if they believe that the liability is clear, they will do that. So, I tell people to – when the insurance company calls – to let them know, “Here’s where my car is and please go ahead and get an adjuster out there, and where can I go pick up my rental?” Because in Ohio, they’re entitled to the reasonable value of a rental car and many of the companies will baulk at that.

And then I also tell them to report it to their own insurance agent. The agent’s not going to take a lot of information, but at least it’s going to be reported. And the reason you want to do that is if the person who caused your accident, if they’re not on the ball, if they’re some out of state company that’s trying to get a local adjuster to do something for him, you may be sitting there, you may be forced– or they may dispute liability for some reason. So you may be forced to go through your own insurance to get your car taken care of. But the key thing is, don’t give a big long statement about your injuries. Tell them, “Hey, I’m injured. I’m under a doctor’s care. I will talk to you more about it down the road. I’m probably going to, at least, consult with an attorney and thank you very much for the call.”

Don’t Call Insurance Companies

You don’t want to get on the phone, let them record you. And what they want to do is they want to figure out if, were you speeding? So, just off the top of your head, they go, “Well, how fast were you going?” And maybe, you don’t really– aren’t even thinking about it and give them some number without thinking. You don’t tell them all of your injuries, you kind of forget about something. So now they don’t believe you when you tell them this other part of your body’s hurting. And so, don’t give them evidence that they can use against you. Give them a little bit of information so that they can, at least, get your car taken care of so you can, at least, have some transportation so somebody can take you to the doctor, presuming you’ve got significant injuries.

Free Consultation

You’ll go to different websites, Jonathan, on the internet and you’ll see, “Before you see these guys, before you talk to an adjuster, get my book or call me.” And it’s great to get a free consultation with an attorney and the sooner you do it, the better off you are because they don’t teach these things in grade school, high school, or even college, or even law school sometimes. So, it’s great to get that initial information from an attorney. They’re not going to charge you anything. Call them also. But when the insurance adjuster calls, at least give him enough information so that you can get your car going. That’s my take on it, anyway.

By: Anthony Castelli

Releasing Statements After an Accident | Cincinnati Auto Accidents

Releasing Statements to Insurance Providers

One of the first things that I know that insurance companies do when they hear that someone was involved in a car accident, and they may have been injured, is they will call that person up and they may befriend that person in an effort to get a statement from them. How do you approach that situation and how do you advise clients when it comes to talking with an insurance company or not talking with an insurance company?

Well, when a person has been in a car accident, Jonathan, and the question you’re posing is what should they do when the insurance company, for the person that caused the accident, calls them up? And, I might be a little different than some attorneys.

Speaking to Insurance Companies

My standard advice is you can give them some limited information and you certainly do not want to be recorded. And the reason for that is if it was a significant accident and your car has been towed somewhere, the insurance company has no clue where your car is. They need to be able to adjust your car damage, and if they believe that the liability is clear, they will do that. So, I tell people to – when the insurance company calls – to let them know, “Here’s where my car is and please go ahead and get an adjuster out there, and where can I go pick up my rental?” Because in Ohio, they’re entitled to the reasonable value of a rental car and many of the companies will baulk at that.

And then I also tell them to report it to their own insurance agent. The agent’s not going to take a lot of information, but at least it’s going to be reported. And the reason you want to do that is if the person who caused your accident, if they’re not on the ball, if they’re some out of state company that’s trying to get a local adjuster to do something for him, you may be sitting there, you may be forced– or they may dispute liability for some reason. So you may be forced to go through your own insurance to get your car taken care of. But the key thing is, don’t give a big long statement about your injuries. Tell them, “Hey, I’m injured. I’m under a doctor’s care. I will talk to you more about it down the road. I’m probably going to, at least, consult with an attorney and thank you very much for the call.”

Don’t Call Insurance Companies

You don’t want to get on the phone, let them record you. And what they want to do is they want to figure out if, were you speeding? So, just off the top of your head, they go, “Well, how fast were you going?” And maybe, you don’t really– aren’t even thinking about it and give them some number without thinking. You don’t tell them all of your injuries, you kind of forget about something. So now they don’t believe you when you tell them this other part of your body’s hurting. And so, don’t give them evidence that they can use against you. Give them a little bit of information so that they can, at least, get your car taken care of so you can, at least, have some transportation so somebody can take you to the doctor, presuming you’ve got significant injuries.

Free Consultation

You’ll go to different websites, Jonathan, on the internet and you’ll see, “Before you see these guys, before you talk to an adjuster, get my book or call me.” And it’s great to get a free consultation with an attorney and the sooner you do it, the better off you are because they don’t teach these things in grade school, high school, or even college, or even law school sometimes. So, it’s great to get that initial information from an attorney. They’re not going to charge you anything. Call them also. But when the insurance adjuster calls, at least give him enough information so that you can get your car going. That’s my take on it, anyway.

By: Anthony Castelli