Your own insurer needs notice of the claim. That is not the same thing as a recorded interview with the other driver’s adjuster about speed, lane position, and whether you “came out of nowhere.”
Why the recording exists
It is a statement under oath in everything but the ceremony. Inconsistencies with the police report, the photos, or later testimony get played back. Riders who are hurt, medicated, or angry give the defense its cross-examination for free.
A workable order
Get medical care. Report the claim to your own carrier if you carry collision, comprehensive, or uninsured-motorist coverage. Decline a recorded statement to the adverse insurer until a lawyer has heard the facts. You can be polite and still decline. “I will have counsel contact you” is a complete sentence.
Written for riders in California as general information from the Bike911 practice of A.G. Assanti & Associates, P.C. It is not advice about your facts, and it is not a substitute for counsel. Deadlines can be shorter than you think.
Related
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- What happens if I was partially at fault?
- How does a lawyer decide what a case is worth?
- What evidence disappears quickly after an accident?
- What should I photograph after a crash?
- Can I still claim if I did not go to the hospital?
- When does an insurance company become unreasonable?
- What is the difference between settling and going to trial?
- What actually happens after a case goes to trial?
- Is lane splitting legal, and does it sink a claim?
- Does California helmet law affect a claim?