It depends whose adjuster is asking. Your own auto policy requires you to give your insurer prompt written notice of the accident and to cooperate with it. Nothing in Alberta's automobile statutory conditions requires you to give a statement to the other driver's insurer. You can politely decline, or ask that questions go through your lawyer.
Last reviewed September 16, 2026. General legal information for Alberta, not legal advice.
Two adjusters, two relationships
After a collision you may hear from:
- Your own insurer’s adjuster, handling your accident benefits and, if you are blamed, defending you against the other driver.
- The other driver’s insurer’s adjuster, whose job is to assess, and limit, what their company pays you.
Both can be courteous and professional. Only one of them works for you.
What you owe your own insurer
Every Alberta auto policy includes statutory conditions set by the Insurance Act. Under them you must:
- promptly give written notice of any accident involving injury or damage, with the available particulars;
- verify by statutory declaration, if the insurer requires it, that the claim arose from use of the vehicle;
- forward immediately every letter, document or court claim you receive about the accident;
- not voluntarily assume liability or settle any claim on your own; and
- cooperate with the insurer in securing information and evidence and in defending any action.
Section B accident benefits also require a claim form within 30 days of the accident. Refusing to cooperate with your own insurer can put your coverage at risk, so give it the facts.
What you do not owe the other driver’s insurer
The statutory conditions run to “the insurer” under your own contract. No provision in them obliges you to give a statement, recorded or otherwise, to the other driver’s insurance company.
You can say: “I’m not giving a statement right now. Please put any questions in writing,” or, if you have a lawyer, “Please contact my lawyer.” Information at the scene is different: the Traffic Safety Act requires drivers involved in a collision to give their name and address, licence number, the vehicle owner’s name and address, the plate number and proof of insurance when asked.
Why early recorded statements cause problems
- Injuries are not diagnosed yet. “I’m okay” on day two is replayed months later against a concussion or disc injury that appeared slowly.
- Fault questions are leading. Estimates of speed, distance and timing given from memory become admissions.
- Small inconsistencies between a recorded statement and later testimony are used to question credibility.
- Broad medical authorizations can open your entire medical history, not just the records related to the crash.
If you already gave a statement
That is common and rarely fatal. Write down what you remember saying, ask the insurer for a copy or transcript, and do not give another one. Tell your lawyer about it early so it can be put in context.
What to say when your own insurer calls
- Give facts you know: date, time, location, vehicles, what happened.
- Do not guess. “I’m not sure” is a complete answer to speed or distance questions.
- Describe symptoms, not conclusions. Say what hurts and that you are seeing a doctor. Do not say you are fine.
- Keep notes of every call: who, when, what was asked.
Statements and Care-First
The Government of Alberta says its Care-First auto insurance system starts January 1, 2027. The new Automobile Insurance Act takes effect by proclamation, so always confirm the start date that applies to your crash.
Crash before Care-First starts: the current rules keep applying to it, including the right to sue the at-fault driver, the minor injury cap and Section B benefits (Automobile Insurance Act, s 103).
Crash after Care-First starts: injured people receive benefits from insurance, and the right to sue narrows to specific cases, such as a driver found guilty of a prescribed criminal or traffic offence, certain third parties like a vehicle manufacturer, a parts supplier or the municipality responsible for the road, and some losses above the benefit limits. Benefit disputes go to the Alberta Automobile Care-first Tribunal.
Sources
- Insurance Act, RSA 2000 c I-3, s 556 (automobile statutory conditions)
- Traffic Safety Act, RSA 2000 c T-6, s 69
- Automobile Accident Insurance Benefits Regulation, Alta Reg 352/1972, Schedule A (Section B)
- Automobile Insurance Act, SA 2025 c A-47 (Care-First)
- Government of Alberta, Care-First auto insurance