If you hurt yourself in a slip and fall accident at the grocery store or your favorite restaurant, you may be surprised at how quickly the business’s insurance adjuster contacts you. Even more surprising, the person could be nice to you. Don’t let that fool you. The insurance adjuster could very well be a very nice person, but his job in relation to your claim is to deny it or pay you as little as possible in compensation for your injuries.
Avoid Hurting Your Case by Making These Statements
Ideally, you want to retain an experienced slip and fall accident attorney as soon as possible who can discuss your case with the insurance adjuster for you. Until you do, you need to be very careful what you say to an insurance adjuster to not inadvertently provide him with information that could hurt your case. Things you do not want to say include:
- Admitting any fault. You never want to make statements like “I was partially at fault,” even if you think this is true. If you have any concerns about your own liability, you should discuss them with your attorney who can advise you on how this could influence your case.
- Downplaying your injuries. You do not want to tell an adjuster, “I was not hurt too badly.” Some injuries do not appear very serious for days, weeks, or months after your injury, so your statement may not even be true. It is best to say as little as possible about your injuries to the adjuster.
- Agreeing to a recorded statement. You never want to say, “Yes, I agree to give a recorded statement.” Even if you do not believe you have anything to hide, the insurance adjuster could turn any statements you make—which would be recorded—against you. You should always consult with an attorney before agreeing to give a recorded statement.
- Agreeing to sign a blanket medical release. You do not want to say, “Sure, I’ll sign your medical authorization.” While you will have to provide medical records regarding your slip and fall injury, you never want to agree to sign an insurance company’s blanket medical authorization that allows its investigators to go on a fishing expedition for medical information that could reduce your settlement amount.
- Agreeing not to retain an attorney. You should not tell the adjuster, “I do not plan to retain an attorney.” First of all, if you suffered any injuries—including what you consider minor ones—you will want to consult with an attorney who understands what compensation you could be entitled to before agreeing to any settlement. In addition, an insurance adjuster could take advantage of the fact that you are representing yourself and make it sound like he’s offering a good settlement when he’s not.
The bottom line is that you want to say as little as possible to an insurance adjuster and leave those conversations to your attorney. If you were injured in a slip and fall accident caused by a business’ or property owner’s negligence, call us at (727) 345-4566 to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation to learn how we can assist you.