Should I give a statement to the insurance company?

Should I Give A Statement To The Insurance Company?

Have you been injured in a Baton Rouge car wreck or big rig wreck? If so, you likely have auto repair and medical bills piling up, lost wages and a lot of stress. Add to that the fact that the insurance companies are probably ringing your phone off the hook wanting you to make an official statement. It’s no wonder that it can be confusing to know what to do when you’re injured in a car accident.

Every year, I speak with several Baton Rouge area residents who have been injured because of another driver’s careless actions. And one of the most common questions I get is, “What should I say to the insurance companies?” The answer is nothing – at least not without the representation of an experienced Baton Rouge personal injury attorney.

You see, no matter how kind or helpful the auto insurance adjuster is, he or she is a representative of a multi-million dollar company, whose main concern is keeping as much of those millions of dollars as possible. After a Baton Rouge car accident, auto insurance companies will often ask you to make a recorded statement about what happened during the vehicle wreck. Their goal is to actually “catch” you on tape saying something that would raise doubt that the other driver was at fault, or to allude that you were partially at fault for your vehicle accident. But, did you know that while you are required to tell your account of what happened in the vehicle accident, by law you are not required to consent to having that conversation recorded?

Many Baton Rouge, Ascension and Livingston residents don’t realize that Louisiana is a comparative negligence state. What this means is that if the insurance companies determine you were partially at fault for your car accident, they can reduce your total damages awarded (the money you get paid by the auto insurance company) by the percentage amount that you are considered at fault. This means that if you say the wrong thing or sound inconsistent in a recorded statement to an auto insurance company, you could end up losing thousands of dollars in medical and auto repair damages that you actually deserve, and be stuck footing the bill for the balance yourself.

Most Baton Rouge residents who are injured in a car accident or big rig wreck call their auto insurance company to report the vehicle accident as soon as possible, and before they consult with a personal injury lawyer. The problem with this is that the first few hours and days after a car accident can make you frazzled and confused – especially if you suffered any injuries to your head, or if you’re taking pain medication for your car wreck injuries. It’s easy to see how these factors can result in you accidentally misstating what happened in your car wreck – something that could end up being a very costly mistake.

If you’ve been injured in a car accident, your first phone call should be to a Baton Rouge personal injury attorney. When you reach out to my law firm after a vehicle wreck, as a personal injury lawyer I immediately get to work for you. As soon as you are well rested and comfortable, I interview you about your car accident to understand how the other driver caused the wreck. Then, I stand by your side every step of the way as we navigate the tricky auto insurance claims process. I will communicate with the insurance company and make sure that that there is no misleading recorded statement or false account of the vehicle accident that could be used against you in a Baton Rouge court.  if you’d like to learn more about what the insurance adjuster says versus what he or she really means, check out this video.

If you’ve been injured in a Baton Rouge car accident, you can trust me to put my training as a personal injury lawyer to work for you. Call RM Legal today at (225) 963-9638.