Car accidents: they are about as much fun to think about and experience as a lumbar readjustment. However, since both are a ‘fact of life,’ you will likely have been involved in at least one car accident in your life. Since car accidents are a fairly traumatic life changing experience, it is easy to make mistakes during and after the accident has occurred. Hire a personal injury lawyer to help you get your just compensation after a car accident and read this article for valuable advice.
Do NOT do this at the accident scene
Your lawyer will tell you not to do the following at the accident scene:
● Never drive away from the accident scene. If you are involved in an accident and you drive away from the scene, you will be guilty of a ‘hit and run’ which could get you arrested and land you jail time even if the other driver was completely at fault. Any Personal Injury Lawyer in La Puente could inform you that this will hurt your chances of winning your personal injury lawsuit either in or out of court.
● Don’t get angry. Remember to stay calm even if you sprained your back and totaled your brand-new car in the accident. If you get angry, you run the risk of making unnecessary statements that you would not have made in a calm state of mind. Since these statements can and will be used against you, they could substantially hurt your chances of winning your personal injury lawsuit.
● Don’t forget to call 9-1-1 immediately. You will get the medical attention you and your passengers need and you will be able to report the accident to the police (doing so is the law.) You’ll also obtain the police report which can be used as valuable evidence to prove your innocence and suffering in your personal injury lawsuit.
● Never say you were at fault. This statement will be used against you and could hurt your chances of winning your personal injury lawsuit. Don’t even apologize to the other driver because his or her insurance company and/or attorney could interpret this as admission of guilt on your part. Be polite but interact with the other driver as little as possible and keep a healthy space away from him or her!
● Never forget to document everything. Take lots of photos of the accident since this count as documentation. Remember that the more documentation you have of the accident scene, the better.
● Never linger in traffic. This is illegal and unsafe. Always remember to move your car and yourself out of the way of moving traffic.
When you get home
Your personal injury lawyer will tell you to do the following when you return home:
● Never give a recorded statement to the other driver’s insurance company. This can be used as evidence on the part of the defense to lower the total economic value of your settlement. This would be tragic since you are not legally required to give a recorded statement to the other driver’s insurance company.
● Never settle right away. If you accept an immediate settlement from the insurance company, you generally can’t sue the defendant later even if you need the money.
Now that you know all about it, you can seek legal counsel to craft the perfect personal injury lawsuit in court against the defendant now that you know what not to do.