I've been hurt in a car wreck and the insurance company for the other driver has called me to give a recorded statement. Should I do it? | Shapiro, Washburn & Sharp

No, no, no!  You have no obligation to give the adverse insurance company investigator or claims agent a recorded statement.  They will use anything that you do say against you to the best of their ability.  So the answer is just say, “No, I’m planning to hire attorney John C. and he told me not to give you a statement.”  Once the insurance company representative gets my letter indicating that you hired me as your accident attorney they can no longer even contact you, let alone to ask for a recorded statement.

If you’ve already made the mistake of giving the other side a recorded statement, then under Virginia law you have the right to demand to get a transcript of it.  However, it is much better to make sure that you have protected your own rights by declining to submit to a recorded statement.  It is not required to get them to deal with your property damage, and refusing will not hurt your injury case.


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The motto at Shapiro & Appleton& Duffan law firm is simple –“All we do is injury law.” We hope you were able to find the answer to your injury query. If not, please review our Virginia Accident Lawyer FAQ Library for additional information. If you’d like to speak to an actual attorney about your potential injury claim for free, please contact our office at (833) 997-1774.