Injury Victims Must Carefully Report Claim
Most injury victims are in an unfamiliar situation when they report their first injury claim. As we have written in our book, Seeking Justice: an Insider’s Guide for the Injured, you must think carefully before you speak to anyone. After you suffer an injury, you may be approached by the adjuster, the defendant, a police officer or others-all trying to find out: “What happened?” and “How you are doing?” What you say can dramatically effect your ability to successfully pursue an injury claim.
Just like you have seen on television in those police shows, “what you say, can and will be used against you.” Obviously, most people try to truthfully respond, however, it is how things are said, and those items that may be omitted that can create material for insurance companies to deny or reduce claims. Remember, an insurance company, as any business, wants to reduce its losses and save money. When processing your claim the adjuster can use anything you say against you in an effort to reduce the insurance company’s cost to settle your claim.
Injury which occurs at a retail store, for example, may be followed by a request that you give a statement or allow the store representative to interview you. While it is natural to want to provide information, you should never allow yourself to give a recorded statement. You should also never sign any form handed to you by the representatives of the store at which you were injured. There is simply no need to risk a misstatement or omission of some important fact. Worse, you may be handed a form or document that may clear the business of responsibility for your injury.
