Nobody wants to get into a car accident. Even a minor fender-bender can be an inconvenience that can ruin your day.

Depending on how often you drive, it’s possible that you’ll get into an accident at some point in your driving career. Therefore, it’s important to know how to react. You may be aware of the things you need to do, but do you know what actions you need to avoid in order to get the most compensation possible for your car accident damages? Here are some things you should not do after a car accident.

Leave the Accident Scene

This is an important one. Not only is leaving the accident and leaving injured victims without medical aid immoral and downright mean, but it’s also illegal. Leaving an accident scene, no matter how minor, can lead to misdemeanor or even felony charges, as well as fines and jail time. So make sure to pull over in a safe area and check on everyone involved.

Get Angry

Sure, you’re frustrated that the jerk wasn’t watching where he was going and rear-ended your new sports car. But is getting mad going to help? No, and in fact it could make matters worse. So instead of losing your cool and blaming the other guy, ask if they’re injured. See how you can help. If you’re seen as angry and combative, it could hinder your case, so take a deep breath and chill out.

Apologize

Your parents taught you good manners, so after a crash, your first reaction may be to apologize. It’s just polite, right? Generally yes, but in a car accident situation, you don’t want to say “I’m sorry.” Those two words are often misconstrued by insurance companies. Instead of hearing “I’m sorry,” they hear “I’m at fault.” So keep the talking to the minimum and avoid saying anything that could potentially expose you to liability.

Forget to See the Doctor

You feel fine, so you don’t need to see the doctor, right? Wrong! Even if you feel OK after an accident, injuries have a way of sneaking up on you days or even weeks later. Plus, depending on the impact, you could have internal injuries and not even know it. Your best bet is to get checked out as soon as possible. Make a doctor appointment or go to the emergency room right away. If you wait too long, the insurance company will say you were not really injured and could deny your claim altogether. 

Contact Us Today

After a car crash, what you say or do can be used against you. You need to be careful when discussing the accident with the insurance companies. A personal injury lawyer can help you with your case.

Schedule a free initial consultation with the car accident lawyers at the O’Donnell Law Offices, serving clients in Kingston, Wilkes Barre, Hazleton, and Pittston, at (570) 821-5717 or online today. There is no fee or costs until we win your case.

Source:

auto.howstuffworks.com/car-driving-safety/accidents-hazardous-conditions/5-things-after-car-accident.htm

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