After a car accident, you may expect calls from doctors, repair shops, or your own insurance company. What can catch people off guard is how quickly the other driver’s insurance company may reach out.
The adjuster may be polite. They may ask how you are feeling, what happened, or whether they can record a statement about the crash.
That does not mean you need to treat the conversation casually.
If you were injured in a Kentucky car accident, it is worth slowing down and understanding why the insurer is calling before you begin answering questions about your injuries or the accident.
Why is the other driver’s insurance company calling?
An insurance company has to investigate claims made against its policyholders. Kentucky law requires insurers to use reasonable standards for investigating claims and addresses how insurers must handle claims when liability becomes reasonably clear.
So, a call from an adjuster is not unusual.
But it is important to understand the adjuster’s role.
They are gathering information that may be used to evaluate the claim. The conversation is part of the claims process—not a consultation about how you can best protect your potential personal injury claim.
That distinction matters.
Be cautious about giving a recorded statement
One of the first things an adjuster may request is a recorded statement.
At Morrin Law Office, Rob Morrin’s advice to injured people dealing with the other driver’s insurer is simple: do not automatically agree to give a recorded statement just because the adjuster asks for one.
Instead, slow the process down.
Ask what information the adjuster needs. If appropriate, you can ask whether questions can be provided in writing so that you have an opportunity to understand exactly what is being asked before responding.
Rob regularly cautions clients that statements made during these early conversations can affect how an insurer evaluates the claim.
The goal is not to be difficult or uncooperative. It is to avoid casually giving important information before you understand the significance of the conversation.
Be careful about saying, “I’m fine”
This is one of the easiest mistakes to make.
An adjuster asks:
“How are you doing?”
And you instinctively respond:
“I’m fine.”
That is how many of us answer that question every day, regardless of how we actually feel.
But immediately after a crash, you may not yet know what your recovery is going to look like. Rob’s concern is that an injured person may minimize what they are experiencing before they have had enough time or medical information to understand the extent of the problem.
You do not need to exaggerate your injuries.
You also do not need to prematurely declare that you are uninjured.
Be accurate about what you know—and what you do not know yet.
Be careful when discussing how the crash happened
The adjuster may also want your version of the collision.
Again, accuracy matters.
Kentucky law allows fault to be allocated among parties in tort cases, and a claimant’s recovery can be affected by the percentage of fault attributed to the parties involved.
That makes seemingly small details about the accident potentially important.
If you are uncertain about a detail, saying “I don’t know” or “I don’t remember” is different from guessing.
You do not need to reconstruct the entire collision during an unexpected phone call.
What should you do when the adjuster calls?
If the other driver’s insurance company contacts you after a Kentucky crash and you have been injured, a few simple precautions can help:
- Identify who is calling. Get the adjuster’s name, company, phone number, claim number, and the name of the person they insure.
- Do not feel pressured to complete the entire conversation immediately. You can gather the caller’s information and decide what you need to do next.
- Think carefully before agreeing to a recorded statement. Understand why it is being requested and consider obtaining legal guidance first.
- Do not minimize injuries you are still trying to understand. Be truthful without making assumptions about your recovery.
- Do not guess about facts you do not remember. Stick to what you actually know.
- Get professional guidance if the injury is significant. This becomes particularly important when you are receiving ongoing treatment, missing work, facing substantial medical expenses, or experiencing an injury that affects your everyday life.
What if the adjuster seems genuinely nice?
They may be.
An insurance adjuster does not need to be rude or dishonest for you to take the conversation seriously.
In fact, Rob points out that adjusters can be friendly and professional while still gathering information for the insurance claim.
The better mindset is not:
“The adjuster is trying to trick me.”
It is:
“This is an important insurance conversation, so I should understand what I am saying before I say it.”
That is a much more useful way to approach the call.
This advice is specifically about the other driver’s insurer
There is an important distinction here.
This article addresses situations in which the insurance company for the person who caused the crash is contacting an injured person.
Different considerations may apply when you are communicating with your own insurance company, including obligations created by your own insurance policy.
Do not assume that advice about one type of insurance conversation automatically applies to every insurer involved in a Kentucky accident claim.
Injured in a Kentucky crash and unsure what to say?
If you suffered a significant injury in a Kentucky car accident and the other driver’s insurance company is already calling, you do not have to figure out the claims process on your own.
Morrin Law Office offers free consultations to help injured Kentuckians understand what is happening, what questions matter, and what their options may be.
Call (859) 358-0300 to speak with our office.
General information only. This article is not legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship. Every injury claim depends on its individual facts.
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