If you are filing a claim with insurance after a car accident, or even if you have decided to file a lawsuit for the crash, you will be asked to provide a written or recorded statement about the accident. Is one type of statement better than the other? Do you have to give an insurer a recorded statement if they ask you for one? Read on to learn the answers to these and more.

First off, is one type of statement better than the other for your case? Insurers certainly prefer one over the other. An insurance adjuster will be keen to get your recorded statement. From the very first time the adjuster calls you, he or she will probably be asking for this statement. Why? An adjuster or investigator will be guiding the questions, which means they are able to monitor the type of information you are able to give them, which may feel like you are giving a skewed account of events. If they only get the type of information they want, the adjuster has an easier job of using your own words against you. And you can bet that this interview will be used to deflect liability for an auto accident onto you.

Of course, there is the chance that you will not say anything that can be made to sound incriminating, but more often than not, a recorded statement is going to sound like it was given by an interviewee who was surprised and unprepared for the request, playing right into the adjuster's hand. You usually do not have to give a recorded statement if you do not want to (there are some policies where you may not be able to refuse this request however), and when you are asked, you may need to explicitly say that you do not want your conversation to be recorded.

Also, if you so choose, you can submit a written record to an insurance company, whether or not you end up giving a recorded statement. And if you did give a recorded statement, that may be all the more reason for you to clearly give your version of events in a written message. You can get as specific or concrete as you want; with this type of statement, you get to control the information given. Unlike a phone call, you are not under a severe time crunch either. You have time to formulate what you are going to say, and you can ask your car accident lawyer to review the statement for you. You have time to redraft and edit your statement as well. You have to give a statement to an insurance company as it is, and a written statement does give you more ability to state your case. This is vital, because the defendant in a lawsuit or the insurance company receiving a claim is going to try to use your own testimony against you.

And remember to use your most important resource—your attorney. If you are uncertain about giving a recorded statement, or are unsure if you have to or not, you can find the counsel and answers you need from an experienced car accident attorney. The success of your claim would be hindered or furthered depending on how you handle your dealings with an insurance company. This is one of the many reasons why it is invaluable to have a legal advocate on your side. In order to get the compensation you deserve after an auto accident, one of the first steps you will have to take is to find the right car accident lawyer. Use our directory to find the qualified legal representation you need today!