When handling claims, a critical piece of the early investigation often involves obtaining a claimants recorded statement.
If completed quickly and thoroughly, a statement can be a pivotal tool for assessing the validity of a claim and steering it toward early resolution. It can also identify red flags for further investigation and help detect claims that will likely go into litigation.
However, a precondition to obtaining this information is that the claimant must be willing to talk and remain engaged in a respectful conversation. This is where the art of the recorded statement is crucial.
A skillful statement taker should be professional, fair, and polite in order to avoid moving the claim to DEFCON one. Here are some tips to help you accomplish that.