Car accidents are an unfortunate occurs every day on roads across California. In fact, in 2023, the city of Modesto alone experienced nearly 1,300 car accidents. While all hope to avoid accidents, knowing what to do if you are involved in one can save you a lot of difficulty down the line. After a car accident, the first thing you think of is not a lawsuit. You may or may not sue the other driver, but you do not want to do anything that will make it difficult to receive the monetary compensation you need. Find out what the five legal mistakes are that drivers make after a car accident.
Taking the Blame at the Scene of the Accident
After a car collision, it may seem appropriate to apologize or say how much you regret the collision, but you must not admit fault.
If you say that you are sorry for the accident, the court will believe that you think that your actions caused the collision. Remember that anything you say can and will be used against you. If you try to deny the apology later or lie and say that you never apologized, you will be charged with perjury, and you will have to face serious consequences.
All you need to discuss at the scene is insurance information and then your personal injury attorney can take over from there.
Taking a Cash Payment
When motorists know that they caused the collision, they often offer the driver they hit a sum of money instead of contacting the police. If you accept the payment, you may not be able to sue the at-fault driver later. After the court hears that you settled with the at-fault driver out of court, it may dismiss your lawsuit.
You need to take the time to find out what your medical expenses will be and how much it will cost to repair your vehicle. Until you do that, you are not going to know how much money you are going to need.
Failing to Seek Medical Attention
First, failing to call emergency services can open you up to a hit-and-run charge. In addition to that, not getting medical attention right away means that you are not getting the medical attention you need for injuries you do not know that you have. For example, you may feel as if you are perfectly fine after the crash, but you may have internal bleeding or whiplash. If you do not see a doctor right after the crash, the at-fault driver’s insurance company will claim that your injuries are due to a cause other than the accident.
Seeking a medical provider will mean that your injuries will be treated right away, and that the hospital staff will begin a paper trail that your personal injury attorney will use to demonstrate fault.
Accepting the First Offer from the At-Fault Driver’s Insurance Company
One thing that you can be sure of is that the at-fault driver’s insurance company is going to try to pay you as little as possible. They usually offer you a very low amount and hope you accept it. However, you will not know how much money you will need in the future. If you accept an early offer, you will not be able to return to the insurance company and say that you need more money.
An attorney will determine how much money you are entitled to receive based on your current and future expenses.
Not Hiring a Personal Injury Attorney
Sometimes, accident victims do not want to spend money on an attorney, but this is the best thing that you can do after a car accident. While you are on your own, you may experience delays because insurance companies use delays in the hopes that you will become frustrated and seek an early settlement, which will, of course, be much lower than you deserve.
When you hire an attorney, he or she will be the one to speak to the insurance companies and obtain a fair settlement for your injuries. If all else fails, you will have someone to take the case to court. This saves you headaches at a time when you need to heal. Contact an attorney today.
Martin Gasparian is the founder of Maison Law, a California Personal Injury Law Firm. Martin is a graduate of Georgetown University Law School and has been practicing law in California 2004. His practice focuses on helping injury victims know their rights and recover just compensation.
