Five Things You Shouldn’t Do after an Accident

Admit Fault 

You should never admit fault, even if you think there’s a very good chance you were at fault. Although you may know what happened and how the events impact your case, you don’t necessarily know what, if anything, the other driver did to contribute to the accident. If, for example, the other driver was texting and driving when the crash occurred, the other driver may have contributed to the crash without your knowledge. Insurance companies can use admissions of fault at the scene to claim that the accident was your fault. Insurance companies may also try to argue that apologizing is equivalent to admitting fault—so you might not want to jump out of your car and immediately begin apologizing. 

Leave the Scene 

You should never leave the scene of an accident without pulling over and checking if everyone else is okay and exchanging insurance information. In some states, you may not have to involve the police if the damage is under a certain threshold. However, that doesn’t mean that you can just drive off without stopping when you’re involved in a car crash. When you’re involved in a car crash, you should pull over as soon as there’s a safe space to do so. Remember, it is unlikely that you will face criminal consequences for a genuine accident. Therefore, there is no reason not to pull over and cooperate when you’re involved in a car crash, even if you’re the one who caused the crash. Typically, people only face criminal consequences for car crashes when the crash was caused by recklessness or gross negligence—driving under the influence, texting while driving, or drag racing, would all be examples of circumstances where you’d be arrested for a car crash. 

Skip Out on Treatment 

If you need medical attention, get medical attention. Do not skip out on necessary treatment. Yes, medical care is expensive—especially if you don’t have health insurance. First, some states require car drivers to have special medical expenses coverage. Some states have what is known as PIP or personal injury protection. Other states have Med-Pay. Some states have both. Whatever your state calls, these policies can usually provide payment for medical expenses immediately after a car crash, regardless of who is at fault.  Further, if you weren’t at fault, but you wait to get needed medical care, the other driver’s insurance company won’t likely want to cover those medical expenses, because the further out in time you get from a car crash, the more difficult it is to be certain that the injuries you’re now complaining of are related to the crash. You only have one chance to get your case right and get the care you need after an accident. If you’re not sure how to pay for it, it’s best to consult with a personal injury attorney. 

“I’m Not Injured!” 

Do not say that you aren’t injured when you’re at the scene of an accident. When an accident has occurred, you may not immediately realize you’re injured. Adrenaline may be through the roof, or your injuries may not be apparent at that time. If you say that you’re not injured at the scene of an accident, and it turns out you are, insurance may use your statement at the scene to argue that you weren’t injured, and that they shouldn’t have to cover the cost of your injuries. This doesn’t mean that everyone should rush to the emergency room immediately after an accident. However, those who have sustained not sustained obvious injuries should not assume that they aren’t injured. As previously mentioned, if injuries do begin to appear a few days after the accident, you should get medical attention as soon as you can. If you put off getting medical attention for too long, the insurance company will likely attempt to argue that you weren’t injured at all, or that you were injured in some other way after the accident. 

Ask The Insurance Company for Advice 

There are no guarantees in life, but you can very nearly guarantee that the insurance adjuster you’re speaking to didn’t go to law school. Insurance adjusters are trained to maximize the insurance company’s profit margins, not help you get the best settlement offer possible—which generally conflicts with maximizing profit margins in a pretty direct way. If you want advice on how to maximize your personal injury settlement, you’ll need to speak with an attorney who has the training and education to help you get the maximum compensation. Do not rely on the insurance company to tell you what you should do. Insurance adjusters want you to accept the lowest settlement offer possible so that they can keep the most money possible. 

When You Need Legal Advice 

At Moxie Law Group, we’re dedicated to helping our clients get the best compensation possible. If you’ve been injured in an accident, and you need an attorney to help you get the maximum compensation, contact us today for a free consultation.