Avoid Making These Mistakes After a Car Accident
You probably know that you need to swap insurance information after an accident, but do you know everything you need to do after the fact? Whether you think you do or not, all too many drivers make 6 common mistakes in the aftermath. If you’ve been in a recent wreck, avoid making these critical mistakes.
Underestimating Your Injuries
You might not feel that bad after a crash. In fact, you might not feel injured at all. This happens because your adrenaline is in overdrive, numbing the pain you’re going to feel in the following days. By the time most people realize the extent of their injuries, it’s too late.
Once you give a legal statement to the police or your insurance company, it’s on record. Ask any auto accident lawyer, the best thing you can do is say you’re not sure about your injuries or how you feel. That way, you can seek compensation if something does crop up later.
Waiting to Act
The longer you wait to report and treat your injuries after an accident, the harder it become to claim your legal rights. Medical care, investigating the wreck, contacting a lawyer, and filing a lawsuit are all time sensitive actions when seeking compensation.
Giving Your Insurance Company Too Much Information
You’re supposed to be able to trust the company you’ve paid into all these years to cover your costs completely, but trusting your insurance company is top mistake. Their job is to make money, and they often short people by paying them less after an accident.
Never talk about fault, don’t talk about your injuries at the moment, and answer as few questions as possible. It doesn’t matter how nice the representative is, just stick with the basic facts and never tell them a concrete answer if you don’t have all the information. The extent of damage to your vehicle is an excellent example.
Not Calling the Police
In order to seek compensation, there needs to be a police investigation and report. Many states legally require this, as well. This is also your chance to be checked by a medical professional at the scene, which only adds to any claim you might need to make.
Admitting Fault
Even if you think the accident was 100% your mistake, never admit fault. There could be a wide variety of factors you haven’t considered that go into this collision, especially what the other driver was doing. Until the investigation is complete, you won’t know for sure what exactly transpired. So, don’t blame yourself or make any statements that could implicate you as the cause of the accident.
Stay Off of Social Media
Don’t talk about your accident, don’t post pictures, and never talk about an ongoing claim online. All of this can be used against you by the other driver, their insurance company, or your own. Injuries and medical treatments are included in this as well. The less you say until the claim period is over, the better off you are.