Issue 16

In this issue

What to do if you gave a recorded statement to the insurance adjuster

• Why it is so important to know what you said
• Why the insurance adjuster's record needs to be supplemented
• Get a copy of your statement or writing ASAP

Settle-It-Yourself Newsletter

Hello!!  Welcome to the November edition of Settlement Central’s Newsletter.  We are pleased to share this newsletter with you, as our business is helping people get satisfactory settlements for their personal injury claims. 

In this issue, we will discuss what you should do if you gave a recorded statement to the insurance adjuster early on in your claim.

As always, we will post our articles on our website as they are sent out in the Settle-It-Yourself Newsletter.  Our readers will have a rich resource available to them, our hands-on battles with the insurance companies translate into useful and accurate information for our readers.

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What to do if you have already given the insurance adjuster a recorded statement

Following a personal injury accident, whether that accident is a result of a dog bite, car accident, motorcycle accident or some other type of personal injury, the first thing an injured party will receive from an insurance company is a request to record your statement on the accident.  Many people, believing that they are simply doing what is necessary to settle their case, will willingly give the adjuster a  tape recorded statement.  

The problem is, once you have made your statement, your words are pretty much set in stone.  Why are we not prepared to make recorded statements?  Most of us do not think well on our feet under circumstances involving the pressure of answering questions for a recording.  We tense up.  We forget important things.  We answer questions in a roundabout way or incompletely, and none of the information comes through in a precise and thorough manner as it will when you put it down in writing.

Another problem is that after you have made the recorded statement, it is near impossible to correct or expand upon what you said in the recording. How can you change your story six months or a year later, when it was given with your full cooperation at the beginning?  Are you now changing your story to suit your needs for continued treatment when your insurance company wants to cut you off after an IME?  Are you trying to gain an advantage for settlement with the tortfeasor's insurance company by changing your story?  They will not easily allow you to modify what you recorded. The adjuster has your information down in her file, and if you should later present something different in the claim (which is almost a certainty, many times the full physical effects of an accident are not fully known until weeks after the incident occurred), you will have to explain why your circumstances have changed, or how your memory came to be "refreshed". 

If you already gave a recorded statement to the insurance adjuster, all hopes are not lost. We can show how to limit the damages following your conversation with the insurance adjuster.  Please click on the following free link to continue with this discussion.  http://www.settlementcentral.com/format.php?Page=8014.
  
Thank you for your interest in our site; we hope you will find us to be an excellent source for your own personal injury needs!!

Jeanine Steele

Publisher, Settle it Yourself Newsletter

SettlementCentral.Com has a wealth of information and special tips for members who wish to arm themselves with the best advice for dealing with insurance companies.  Our Negotiation section is filled with fresh and effective ideas on how to approach a company to ensure a successful settlement of your case.

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About SettlementCentral.com

http://www.settlementcentral.com

SettlementCentral.Com, Inc. is a Washington corporation providing general educational information, online, to personal injury victims throughout the United States on how to manage their own personal injury claims through the settlement process—from gathering the necessary information (evidence) to submitting claims and demand letters, through engaging in successful personal injury settlement negotiations with insurance companies. Our online instructions and self-help forms and letters are designed to make for easy insurance claims settlements in the areas of auto accidents, pedestrian accidents, dog bites, vicious animal bites, premises liability, and slip and fall accidents.

Contact Information

Your comments and suggestions are welcome!  Tell us what topics you would like to see discussed in this newsletter and we will do our best to bring you current useful information.  Write to us at: info@SettlementCentral.com