How to Give a Recorded Statement to An Insurance Company (2024)

FAQs

How to Give a Recorded Statement to An Insurance Company? ›

Do not provide extensive explanations. Answer only the questions asked, and keep your answers brief and to the point. The less you say, the less likely it can be used against you.

Insurance adjusters will ask for a recorded statement as they are gathering information soon after the accident. This helps them to determine fault and how much compensation should be paid. Everything you say in your statement will be transcribed and put into a document, which becomes part of your claim file.

The main reason to avoid making a recorded statement after an accident, even to your own insurance company, is that a recorded statement is much less precise than a written one.

No law in California makes it mandatory to give an insurance company a recorded statement. This is to avoid you giving out statements incompletely or miss out any important information. Remember once you've given out your statement, it can and may be used against you to deny your claim or reduce benefits later.

In personal injury law, a recorded statement is a video or audio interview, often taken by an insurance adjuster, detailing a car accident. The interviewer may ask about the moments leading up to the crash, what you saw, and what you did. The moments after a car accident can be painful and disorienting.

However, it is best not to discuss the issue of fault until you have consulted with an attorney. Politely decline to give a recorded statement until you feel better. The representatives working on claims in insurance companies are trained to ask questions in a way that will benefit their bottom line.

Yes. A federal law, the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), states insurance companies have a “permissible purpose” to look at your credit information without your permission. Insurance companies must also comply with state insurance laws when using credit information in the underwriting and rating process.

With phone records, the insurance company can do a great deal to gather information to prove you are at fault in an accident. Here are some of the ways they may be able to do that: They will use your phone information to determine if you were on the phone while the accident occurred.

What to say when making an insurance claim? ›

Give your name, address, policy number, and the date and time of your loss. Make sure to tell your insurance agent where you can be reached, especially if you are unable to stay in your home. Follow up the call with a letter detailing the problem. Keep a copy of the letter.

Insurance companies often record phone calls, but they do this primarily for customer service, training, and quality assurance purposes.

Proof of Loss

A formal statement made by the insured to the insurance company providing sufficient information concerning the loss that the company uses to determine its liability under the policy.

Typically, an insurance company will only need to view records of treatment received for the injuries in question (i.e., the ones you are seeking compensation for.) But it is not uncommon for adjusters to try to get a hold of your past medical records too. They do this to try to get an upper-hand in your case.

With phone records, the insurance company can do a great deal to gather information to prove you are at fault in an accident. Here are some of the ways they may be able to do that: They will use your phone information to determine if you were on the phone while the accident occurred.

The goal of an insurance adjusters' job is to prove that the accident happened and is not fraudulent. By recording the call, they are weeding through fraudulent claims. The insurance adjuster also decides the terms of paying out auto claims and for how much.

Underwriters frequently request financial statements when they provide both new business and renewal quotations. This is because an insured's financial condition is an important factor in assessing its insurability, commitment to loss control programs, and ability to pay premiums.