The Insurance Company Has Contacted Me After My Accident — What Should I Do?
Last reviewed: June 2026 · EA Personal Injury Solicitors
If an insurer contacts you soon after an accident, whether it is the other driver's, your employer's or another party's, be cautious before saying anything or accepting an offer. Early contact is common and is often an attempt to settle cheaply before you have legal advice or know the full extent of your injuries.
TL;DR — Quick Summary
Key Points
- You are not obliged to give a recorded statement or accept any offer without legal advice
- Early offers are frequently well below the true value of a claim
- Accepting an offer extinguishes your right to further compensation — even if your condition worsens
- Once you have a solicitor, the insurer must deal through them — not directly with you
- Keep a note of when the insurer called, what they said, and who you spoke to
Why Insurers Contact You Quickly
Insurance companies are commercial organisations. Their objective when handling a claim is to resolve it as cheaply as possible. Contacting a claimant directly in the immediate aftermath of an accident — before they have spoken to a solicitor, before they know the full extent of their injuries, and before they understand the value of their claim — can be an effective way of achieving a quick, low-cost settlement.
This is not necessarily sinister, but it is commercially motivated. Understanding this context is the first step to protecting your interests.
The Risk of Early Recorded Statements
One of the first things an insurer's claims handler may ask for is a recorded statement about what happened and how you are feeling. This is presented as routine procedure, but recordings can be used to identify inconsistencies between what you said early on (when you may have underestimated your injuries) and what you say later once the full impact becomes apparent.
You are not legally obliged to give a recorded statement to the defendant's insurer. Politely decline and advise that you will be seeking legal advice before making any statement.
The Risk of Early Settlement Offers
Insurers sometimes make rapid settlement offers — occasionally within days of an accident. These offers can seem generous in the immediate aftermath of an injury, but they carry a serious risk: accepting a settlement offer is final. Once you accept, you cannot return for more compensation if your condition worsens, your recovery takes longer than expected, or you discover a more serious underlying injury.
In personal injury law, the full extent of an injury — particularly soft tissue injuries, psychological harm, or conditions that are slow to develop — often only becomes clear over weeks or months. Settling before a proper medical assessment and prognosis is almost always premature.
What You Should Do Instead
- Do not give a recorded statement without taking legal advice first
- Do not accept any offer until you have a medical prognosis and legal advice on the value of your claim
- Note the details — who called, when, what they said, and any offer made
- Contact a solicitor for a free initial enquiry — once you have a solicitor, the insurer must deal through them
- Continue medical treatment and keep records of all symptoms and expenses
Your Own Insurer
Be aware that your own insurer — for example, your motor insurer — also has commercial interests and may prefer to resolve a dispute quickly or through their own approved solicitor panel. You generally have the right to instruct your own independent solicitor even if you are using your legal expenses insurance. Check your policy carefully.
If an insurer has contacted you after an accident and you are unsure how to respond, contact EA Personal Injury Solicitors for a free initial enquiry. We can advise you quickly on your position without any obligation to instruct us.