slip and fall attorneyHave you ever had a dream in which you were starring in a play, but when it came time for you to give your first speech, you couldn’t remember your lines? 

It’s a fairly common dream—and when you’re having it, you can really feel the stress of knowing you have something important to say but being unable to remember what it is. The whole cast of the play is counting on you, and if you get your lines wrong, everything that follows could be a mess.

Now, imagine that you are wide awake and you get a phone call from an insurance adjuster who wants to ask you about your recent slip and fall accident.

You might start to experience the same kind of stress you felt in your dream. You know you have to say something, but if you say the wrong thing, you could damage your case and end up with less compensation than you deserve.

Take a deep breath. When an insurance adjuster calls, you only have one line and it is easy to remember:

Here is my lawyer’s phone number.

Brevity Is Best

The insurance adjuster will be very nice on the phone. They will just have a few questions about your slip and fall accident. It will probably seem polite to try to answer their questions.

But make no mistake: an insurance adjuster is trying to find a way to reduce—or even deny—your claim so that they don’t have to pay you for the injuries you suffered when you fell.

That’s why your best option is to deliver your single line:

Here is my lawyer’s phone number.

If that’s all you say, you won’t say anything that could damage your case. Things like:

  • Statements of fault or apology. The adjuster would love for you to admit that the accident was your fault or that you are sorry to be causing so much trouble.
  • Statements that suggest you were not hurt. The adjuster might try to get you to describe your injuries in ways that might minimize the actual pain you have experienced.
  • Statements based on guesses. The adjuster may ask you to speculate about things you aren’t sure about in the hope that you will say something that contradicts the facts or other statements you have made.
  • Statements that are recorded. The adjuster may want you to agree to have your conversation recorded so they have proof of any misstatements you make. 

Remember, you can’t fall into any of those traps if you stick to the script:

Here is my lawyer’s phone number.

We’d Be Happy to Talk to the Insurance Adjuster. Contact Our Slip and Fall Attorneys Today.

The attorneys of Griffen & Stevens are skilled negotiators who can help make sure an insurance company doesn’t try to deny you the compensation you deserve after a slip and fall accident. Contact us today to discuss the details of your case—and then get ready to refer any insurance adjuster who calls you to us.

Ian van Schilfgaarde, Esq.
Ian van Schilfgaarde is a highly-reputed Flagstaff criminal defense lawyer known for his tireless work ethic.