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Who the adjuster works for
After a truck crash, the motor carrier’s insurer often calls within a day or two. The adjuster may sound friendly and helpful. Still, they represent the company whose driver hit you. What you say goes into their file and can be used later to argue that you were partly at fault, that you were not badly hurt, or that something else caused your pain.
Trucking companies also start collecting their own evidence right away. Carriers must keep driver duty status records, including electronic logging data, for six months (49 C.F.R. 395.8), and they hold the dashcam and black box data. Your side needs its own investigation too. A lawyer can send a preservation letter so that evidence is saved, while the adjuster’s calls are handled for you.
What the adjuster may ask for
Adjusters often ask for a recorded statement, a signed medical authorization, or permission to talk to your doctors. Some offer a quick check for car repairs or an early payment for your injuries. Each of these can affect your claim. A broad medical authorization may give them years of unrelated records. A quick check may come with a release that ends your injury claim.
Our page on recorded statements after a truck crash covers that request in detail. Before you accept any money, read our page on the first settlement offer. Once you sign a release, the claim is usually over, even if your injuries turn out to be worse than you thought. Take your time and get advice first.
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Duties you do have
Some duties are real and should be met. At the scene, a California driver in an injury crash must stop, exchange name, address, license and registration information, and help anyone hurt (Vehicle Code 20001). Within 10 days, a driver in a crash with injury, death or more than $1,000 in property damage must file form SR-1 with the DMV, whether or not they were at fault (Vehicle Code 16000).
Your own policy may also require you to report the crash and cooperate. For a hit-and-run uninsured motorist claim, the crash must be reported to police within 24 hours and the insured must give their insurer a sworn statement within 30 days (Insurance Code 11580.2(i)). See calling your own insurer for more on that side.
What you can say instead
You do not have to be rude or hang up. A short, polite reply works: give your name, confirm the date of the crash, and say that your lawyer will contact them. If you do not have a lawyer yet, you can say you are getting advice and will call back. Write down the adjuster’s name, company, phone number and claim number.
Avoid guessing about speed, distance or how you feel. Do not say you are fine or not hurt, since injuries often show up later. Do not talk about fault or apologize. Our page on what not to tell the insurance company lists more phrases that tend to cause trouble later in a claim.
What to do now
Focus on your health and your records. Get medical care, follow your treatment plan and keep every bill and receipt. Save photos of the truck, the company name and the USDOT number. Keep a list of everyone who calls about the crash, with dates. Do not sign anything from the trucking company or its insurer, and do not give a recorded statement before you talk to a lawyer.
Deadlines apply even while the adjuster is calling. In California, an injury lawsuit generally must be filed within two years (Code of Civil Procedure 335.1). In Washington, the general limit is three years (RCW 4.16.080). Call (310) 552-6959 or use the form, and we can take over the calls with the trucking company’s insurer. You owe no fees or costs unless we win.
- Write down the adjuster’s name, company, phone and claim number.
- Do not give a recorded statement or sign a medical authorization yet.
- Do not sign a release or cash a check tied to one.
- File the DMV SR-1 within 10 days if it applies.
- Keep medical records, bills and receipts in one place.
Common questions
Can I refuse to talk to the trucking company’s insurance company?
You can tell them politely that you prefer to have your lawyer speak with them. Many people give basic facts, like their name and the date of the crash, and stop there. Your own insurer may be different, because your policy may require you to cooperate. The answer depends on the policy and the facts.
What happens if I already talked to the trucking company’s adjuster?
It is not too late to get help. Write down what you remember saying and when. Do not give a second statement or sign anything else. A lawyer can ask for a copy of any recording and can handle future contact. Many claims recover from an early call if the evidence is gathered soon after.
Should I sign the medical authorization the trucking insurer sent me?
Talk to a lawyer before you sign it. These forms are often broad and can let the insurer collect records from years before the crash, looking for an old injury to blame. Your lawyer can send the records that relate to the crash, so the insurer gets what it needs to evaluate your claim.
Why does the trucking company’s adjuster keep calling me?
The insurer wants your account early, before you have a lawyer and before the evidence is collected. Repeated calls are common. You can ask them to contact your lawyer, or write down that you are getting advice and will respond later. Keep a log of each call with the date and the adjuster’s name.
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Car and truck accident lawyer — Beverly Law
If you were hurt in a car or truck crash in California and Washington, talk to a personal injury attorney. Free, confidential, English or Spanish. You owe no fees or costs unless we win.
Related pages
Can I sue a truck driver for hitting me? · Who is liable in a truck accident: the driver, the trucking company or the broker? · Rear-ended by a semi truck: what to do · Hit by a semi truck on the freeway: your rights · Jackknife truck accident: who is at fault? · All car and truck accident questions
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Important: This page is general information about California and Washington law, not legal advice, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Every case is different; talk to a lawyer about yours. Last reviewed: November 5, 2026.