Be Careful with Time, Distance and Speed
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When a dispute arises concerning how a motor vehicle collision occurred, three of the important facts that are considered are time, distance, and speed.
Recorded statements should not be given to the liability insurance company which insures the negligent party without the advise of counsel. If such statements are given, the insurance company will want to know the facts relating to the motor vehicle collision. The insurance company's adjuster will always ask about the time, distance, and speed.
Most people will give a quick answer to questions such as the following:
ï¯ How much time passed between the time you saw the other car and the time the collision occurred?
ï¯ How far did your vehicle travel after impact?
ï¯ What speed was your car traveling immediately before the collision?
Most people who have witnessed a motor vehicle collision will have ready answers to questions such as those stated above. However, these answers will almost always be wrong. The average person has no experience or training in estimating time, distance, and speed.
Test yourself by:
ï¯ While watching television, have someone time a commercial after which you guess how long that commercial lasted.
ï¯ When riding as a passenger in a car, guess the speed of travel while someone else checks your answer on the speedometer.
ï¯ Guess the distance from one point to another and check yourself by actually measuring that distance with a tape measure or odometer.
You will likely be surprised by the inaccuracy of your answers.
Unless you are absolutely certain as to time, distance, and speed, there is certainly nothing wrong with stating that you do not know the answer to an adjuster's question(s). Certainly, that would be better than giving a wrong answer.
A careless answer given to an insurance adjuster could come back to haunt you later. If you give testimony under oath at a later time regarding the time, distance, or speed relating to a motor vehicle collision, you could be cross-examined about an earlier un-sworn statement you gave to an adjuster.
One careless, inaccurate answer could mean the difference between winning and losing your case.
Please consult an attorney before you speak with an insurance adjuster.
For more information on this subject matter, please refer to the section on Car and Motorcycle Accidents.