Car accidents can make for extremely stressful and emotional situations, and there are likely to be a million and one things running through your head directly afterwards. However, if you find yourself in a crash, it’s important you collect yourself and watch what you say, as even the smallest offhand statement could come back to haunt you in a potential personal injury claim.
Who pays damages after a car accident depends on who is at fault, and drivers often accidentally incriminate themselves with statements like “I’m so sorry, I didn’t see you!” This may seem like common courtesy, but it’s actually a common mistake.
Use caution when discussing the crash
After your accident, you are going to need to talk to several people, including the other driver, witnesses and the police officers (after you’ve called them to the scene).
When speaking with the other driver, first make sure he or she is all right and get medical attention if needed. Then, keep your discussion limited to the damage of your vehicles, getting each other’s contact information and names and obtaining information on each person’s insurance policy. The same goes for witnesses — only get names and contact information. When the police arrive, never admit to any responsibility for the accident, even if you think it was partially your fault.
There are a couple of key reasons why you should be so careful. First, you could simply be wrong about what happened in the accident. Crashes happen very fast and your perspective could be skewed based on having panicked when the collision occurred. Second, any statements you make could be easily misunderstood or misinterpreted.
If you could use sound legal advice after suffering injuries from an auto accident, contact the knowledgeable North Carolina attorneys at Lanier Law Group right away.