What you say in the minutes and weeks after a car crash can have a massive effect on how much compensation you get.
Yet it is not Big Brother that you need to worry about hearing you. It’s the insurance adjusters.
Engaging you in conversation is one of their favored tactics. They know people are not at their best after a crash and exploit their confusion to get them to say something that harms their claim.
Here are three tactics to watch out for:
Getting you to say you are not hurt
The bulk of a car crash claim will be for your injuries, so if the adjuster can get you to say you are not injured or feeling better, it vastly reduces the amount the insurer needs to pay.
They will be sneaky about it too. For example, “You sound so much better today,” or “What a wonderful day, you must be feeling fine now that spring has arrived.”
Inducing doubt
It is hard to remain steadfast and certain when someone keeps asking, “Are you sure about that?” If you succumb, the adjuster will seize on any weakness to suggest that maybe your version of events is not reliable after all.
Seeking an apology
Many people are so polite or timid that they apologize even when something is not their fault. For example, all those who say sorry when someone else bumps into them in the street. Yet, an insurance adjuster will seize on any apology you gave to the other driver at the crash scene to claim that you must have been at fault if you said sorry.
The best way to ensure you do not fall for the insurance adjuster’s tactics is never to speak to them. If you refuse, their only option will be to deal with your legal team, who will understand how to deal with them and get the compensation you deserve.