Should I Give a Recorded Statement Without Being Represented by a Lawyer?

What is a Recorded Statement?

When you are injured on the job in North Carolina or South Carolina, the insurance adjuster for your company’s workers’ compensation insurance company wants to get a recorded statement from you about exactly what happened.  In cases where you were hurt by a co-worker’s negligence, or the negligence of a third-party, giving a recorded statement will most likely not be fatal to your case being accepted, or denied as to compensability.  If you were hurt as a passenger in a work vehicle that your co-worker smacked into the back of someone else, or a tree, there is not a lot of wiggle room as to the facts.  Likewise, if some other third-party hit you while you were in the company vehicle.

But, even in this circumstance, you should not give a recorded statement without being represented by a lawyer.  Things in your medical history that you think are minor may be a big deal to the workers’ compensation insurance company.  The insurance adjuster may also ask you questions that have nothing to do with the case, or would not be deemed admissible in court, that you unknowingly answer, and cause harm to your case.

With certain workers’ compensation cases, there is a very fine line in what makes your case one they accept responsibility for and one that they do not.  The words you use to describe an accident on the job can make all the difference.  Unfortunately, there are also some adjusters that ask you questions in such a way that your answers lead to your claim being denied.  Of course this is wrong, but insurance companies are in the business of making money for their shareholders, and the fewer claims they pay out, the more profits they will have for those shareholders.

So, if you have been injured in an automobile accident, or hurt on the job, don’t speak with the insurance company, and especially don’t give a recorded statement, until you have had the chance to consult with an attorney.  Tippens & Zurosky has knowledgeable, experienced attorneys who can fight for your rights if you have been injured on the job, or in an automobile accident in North Carolina, or South Carolina.  Call us toll-free at 877-372-3580, or at 704-343-0018, for a free consultation.  Let us help you!