Do I Have to Give a Statement to the Other Driver’s Insurance Company After a Car Accident in Alabama?

July 27, 2026/in Judge Knows, Latest News, Personal Injury

No. You don’t have to give a statement to the other driver’s insurance company after a wreck, and in most cases you shouldn’t. David Greene joined WKRG News 5’s Judge Knows to walk through this and a few other misconceptions that trip people up after an accident, including how fast to see a doctor and why “no damage” doesn’t mean “no case.”

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Interview on WKRG News 5’s Judge Knows

Watch David Greene break down these insurance myths in this WKRG News 5 Judge Knows segment. He explains why you don’t have to give a recorded statement to the other driver’s insurance company, why timing matters when you see a doctor, and what a “gap in treatment” means for your claim.

Do I Have to Talk to the Other Driver’s Insurance Adjuster?

No. If the other driver’s insurance company calls asking for a statement, you’re not obligated to give one. Alabama law does give you a set window to file a claim or a lawsuit, so there’s no need to rush into a phone call just because an adjuster is pushing for one. Give them the basic facts from the scene if you need to, but don’t sit for a recorded statement. Adjusters ask specific questions for a reason, and an answer that seems harmless in the moment can end up used against your claim later.

Will I Ever Have to Give a Statement to My Own Insurance Company?

Possibly, yes. Your own policy may require cooperation, including a statement, depending on your coverage. That’s different from talking to the other driver’s insurer. If it comes to that, it’s worth having someone review the questions with you first so your answers are accurate and don’t get twisted into something they weren’t.

Does It Matter If There’s Little or No Damage to My Car?

Not as much as people think. Vehicle damage and physical injury don’t always match up, and a car that looks fine after a crash doesn’t rule out a real injury. We covered this in more detail in our post on vehicle damage and injury severity. The short version: get checked out regardless of how the car looks.

How Soon Should I See a Doctor After an Accident?

Right away. Waiting is one of the more costly mistakes people make. Some injuries don’t show symptoms for days, and if you wait too long to get checked out, two things can go wrong. First, the problem itself gets worse without treatment. Second, and just as damaging to a claim, the insurance company gets an opening to argue the injury wasn’t caused by the wreck at all.

What Is a “Gap in Treatment” and Why Does It Matter?

It’s the term insurance companies use for a stretch of time between the accident and when you started or continued medical treatment. If there’s a gap, adjusters routinely point to it as a reason to deny or reduce a claim, arguing that a real injury wouldn’t have waited that long for care. Seeing a doctor promptly and sticking with the treatment plan closes off that argument before it starts.

Do I Need an Appointment to Talk to a Lawyer at Greene & Phillips?

No. You can come by either office without scheduling ahead of time. After a wreck, the order of operations is straightforward: call 911 if anyone needs help, get checked out by a doctor, and then talk to a lawyer before you say anything to the other driver’s insurance company.

About the Author

David Greene is the founding attorney of Greene & Phillips Injury Lawyers, a personal injury firm with offices in Mobile and Birmingham, Alabama. He has practiced personal injury, wrongful death, and product liability law in Alabama for nearly 28 years and has tried thousands of cases. Greene & Phillips handles only personal injury matters and charges no fee unless you recover.

Call or text (251) 478-1115 in Mobile or (205) 918-7800 in Birmingham, or reach us through our contact page.

These recoveries and testimonials are not an indication of future results. Every case is different, and regardless of what friends, family, or other individuals may say about what a case is worth, each case must be evaluated on its own facts and circumstances as they apply to the law. The valuation of a case depends on the facts, the injuries, the jurisdiction, the venue, the witnesses, the parties, and the testimony, among other factors. Furthermore, no representation is made that the quality of the legal services to be performed is greater than the quality of legal services performed by other lawyers.

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