It is a sad fact of life that on today’s crowded roads, at some point the majority of us are going to be involved in an automobile accident. If we are lucky, it will be no worse than a minor scrape with no more damage done than a little paint swapped and maybe our pride injured a little, but you can’t count on it. Again, if we are lucky, everyone involved will play fair and so will their insurance companies; but again, you definitely can’t count on that last part.
It is no secret that insurance companies are in business to make money, not give it away and while the majority of them will do their best to reach an equitable settlement, their idea of fair play and yours may be very different.
That is where I come into the picture. It is my job to protect your rights and best interest. Unfortunately, many times, a client will come to me and because of their actions or lack of actions, they have left themselves in a no win situation.
It always breaks my heart to see these people; who with the best of intentions have all but tied my hands. With that in mind, I offer the following advice.
Auto Accident Does and Don’ts
Do call the police immediately. Without an official investigation report everything becomes a he said, she said, and you have basically thrown away your rights. Besides, their insurance will say “It couldn’t have been too serious; they didn’t even call the police.”
Don’t tell anyone, especially the police that you are all right. When you are in an accident your adrenaline will be pumping. Endorphins, the body’s natural pain killers will be flowing and you really can’t be sure if you have suffered an injury or not.
Do seek immediate medical attention. As mentioned above, after an accident, you may not be the best judge of your own condition. Immediately go to the Emergency Room or to a physician that specializes in accident injuries. Your family doctor may be a great guy, but he isn’t an expert on possible traumatic injuries. A specialist will know what to look for and how to test for it. Besides, if it comes to litigation you will want the kind of detailed reports that a specialist will prepare.
Don’t assume your vehicle is OK, just because it looks alright. Todays vehicles are finely tuned machines and unless you have it inspected by a competent mechanic you can’t be sure there is no hidden damage. Many times it is the damage that you can’t see that will cost you the most.
There you have it, two things to definitely do and two things you definitely don’t want to do. For some unknown reason it seems to be against our nature to admit that something might be wrong. It seems in stressful situations the first words out of our mouths will always be either “it is Ok” or “I’m Ok”. These can be the most expensive words you will ever speak.
When you are involved in an auto accident, the main thing is to keep your head and make sure that nothing say or do can be held against you. Trust me, if you say it someone will make note of it and if you do it, someone will record it.