If you are injured in a San Antonio-area automobile accident, and the other driver was at fault, you may get a call from that driver’s insurance company requesting a recorded statement about what happened.
While the person on the phone may sound friendly and helpful, the insurance company will be actively looking for reasons to reduce the value of your claim or reject your claim entirely.
Before you make any statement to the other driver’s auto insurance company, arrange to speak with San Antonio auto accident attorney Matthew S. Norris.
Can I Decline to Give a Recorded Statement to the Other Driver’s Insurance Company?
After a car accident, both your own insurance company and the other driver’s may contact you for a formal recorded statement. It is perfectly acceptable to refuse to speak with the other driver’s insurance company. That company will be “fishing” for a reason to claim either that you were at fault, that you were injured at another time and place, or that you weren’t really injured at all.
The other driver’s insurance company can use anything that you say against you. For example, if you are unaware that you sustained a latent or hard-to-detect injury, and you tell the other driver’s insurance company that you feel fine, if that injury emerges later as a serious medical condition, the insurance company may use your statement to deny your injury claim.
If your own auto insurance company requests a recorded statement, make sure that your policy requires it. If not, ask if you can submit a written statement instead, and then write that statement with the assistance and guidance of your personal injury lawyer.
Why Should You Reject a First Settlement Offer?
Do not negotiate with the other driver’s insurance company. Instead, ask San Antonio auto accident attorney Matthew S. Norris to do the talking and negotiating on your behalf. The first settlement offer from the other driver’s insurance company is likely to be a “low-ball” offer, and you will need to reject it.
Attorney Matthew S. Norris will almost certainly be able to negotiate a more generous settlement on your behalf. And while most personal injury claims in Texas are settled that way – in private, out-of-court negotiations – if a reasonable settlement amount is not offered in those negotiations, Attorney Matthew S. Norris will take your case to court and ask the jurors to order the payment of your compensation.
Contact Us Before The Other Driver’s Insurance Company Contacts You
You will probably be contacted by the other driver’s auto insurance company almost immediately after the accident, so it is essential to place the matter in an attorney’s hands as quickly as possible after you have obtained medical treatment. That way, you will be able to refer all of an insurance company’s questions and inquiries to your personal injury attorney.
The Law Office of Matthew S. Norris represents the injured victims of negligence throughout the greater San Antonio area. Your first consultation with us is provided without cost or obligation, and you will pay no attorney’s fee until and unless we prevail on your behalf. To learn more – or to begin the legal process and seek the compensation and justice you deserve, call the Law Office of Matthew S. Norris now at 210-549-7633.