Many people have been involved in an accident at some point. It can be a scary, nerve-wracking situation, but there are ways to make it better for you and the other party. In this article, you’ll learn about common mistakes that people often make when they have an accident, and how to avoid them!
Not calling the police
You have to remember that a legal accident is one which the police were called. You may not know it, but this could be very important for you in case something else happens to you.
Call 911 if your accident involves injury or property damage. If the accident was minor and there are no injuries don’t worry about calling the police. If the accident was property damage under $1000, you might want to contact your auto insurance provider about filing a claim.
This accident is a good example of why you should always call the police. If you are in an accident and do not contact them, they may be charged for failing to stop at the scene of an accident or even assault with injury if someone was hurt during the accident. Just because there were no injuries doesn’t mean that something else might happen down the line and having this document is important!
The legal definition says that your accident has happened when it involves one or more vehicles and any person (not just drivers) as well as any road users involved such as pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists, etc., regardless of where these people are on either public carriageways or footways who have been injured by some other person’s accident. The police can help you with your accident if it happened on a public highway or footway.
Over Exaggerating
Never exaggerate when describing accident details to the insurance company. You might think that you are just trying to get a better settlement, but in reality, it could be breaking the law (in some cases), and will only make things worse for yourself. It is also never appropriate or acceptable to lie about any accident circumstances. This includes who was driving, where they were going at the time of the accident, how fast they were going etc.
Being truthful is the best way to go when reporting accident details. You might not get as much money, but at least you know that your insurance company will believe everything you tell them and be willing to work with you in a more straightforward manner.
If this is an accident where someone was injured or killed, then absolutely do not exaggerate the accident circumstances! In those cases, it is imperative for providing accurate information so they can help find the person who did this. Exaggerating could lead to even worse consequences for themselves than just having their claim denied because of misrepresentation of accident details.
Even if there are no injuries involved, over-exaggeration can still cause serious legal ramifications that may never have been anticipated had they stayed truthful from the beginning.
Not getting legal help
You have to involve yourself in accident law. Damages are based on this type of accident. The insurance people could be a help to you, but they might not want to give up the information about what is going on with your case and it can take a long time for them to deal with all of their cases at once.
You should contact an attorney right away so that he or she knows if there has been any physical injury like broken bones. Once you’re done with treating your injuries, call some car accident lawyers who should help you get the compensation you deserve. It’s a good idea to have someone else write down facts after an accident because memories fade over time and details may get lost.
If you don’t initially go through legal channels then, when trying to claim compensation later on, lawyers will argue that you’re just looking for more money and do not need as much as you’re asking for.
If the accident is fatal, then it’s a good idea to contact an accident lawyer right away because authorities may need your help in figuring out what happened and who was at fault. It can also be complicated if there are witnesses or surveillance footage of any kind.
Leaving the scene without taking pictures
You have to document the accident while it is fresh in your mind. Memory fades fast, and you may not remember important details about the accident by the time you go to file a claim with your insurance company or make an injury report for work.
- If possible, take pictures of all damage according to how much there is as well as any witnesses around (including yourself).
- If someone was injured then taking their picture can help them get treatment faster when they show up at the hospital later on.
- The police will need these pictures if they are called so don’t worry about getting into trouble for stopping traffic to take a photo.
- Don’t touch the accident scene if you can avoid it, this includes not moving your car and making sure that all living things are out of harm’s way before taking pictures.
- If you have to move something, be as careful about how you do so as possible without damaging anything further than is necessary.
Not getting the information from the other driver
You have to get the other driver’s information if you are involved in an accident. This is important because it will be used to get your car fixed on insurance and for evidence that this accident was not your fault. If there were no witnesses, then say so when they ask why you didn’t stop.
Collect contact info from all drivers or passengers (name, address, phone number) and have a witness write down what happened.
The police might want a report about how the accident occurred. If you don’t have enough information to know exactly what happened, try saying “I do not remember.” This can also help protect yourself in case of an accident where both cars hit each other at the same time; sometimes one person insists they had the right of way.
Now you know what mistakes to avoid when you’re involved in an accident. Involving the law should be a top priority which means calling the police and contacting a lawyer. If you’re not injured too badly, document the accident and get information from the other driver and witnesses, and never over-exaggerate when talking about what happened. This way, you’ll get the most out of an unfortunate situation.