If you've been in a car accident that was not your fault, you've got an immediate hurdle to overcome: the attitude of the other driver involved. It's unfortunate, but sometimes the at-fault driver will try to make the accident look like it's at least partly your fault, often in a really passive-aggressive manner that you might not spot while you're trying to get your bearings.
It's vital that you recognize what the at-fault driver might be doing, and that you control your responses. What you say at the accident scene could affect any future legal actions you take.
Don't Say Sorry
Do not apologize, even in a general social way. Any apology can be used by the insurance companies to pin part of the blame on you. If you live in a comparative fault state, that could make you liable for some of the other person's damage. If you feel pressured to apologize for anything, just repeat that the police and insurance companies should handle the situation.
Don't Yell
You may be understandably irritated if someone has just hit you, but refrain from yelling. If the other person starts acting weaselly, just tell them that you are contacting your insurance company immediately (and then do so). Yelling only makes you likely to say something you'll regret later.
Do Call Police if Necessary
If someone was injured in the accident, you'll have to call police, but more departments are adopting a policy of not sending officers out if there are no injuries. If there are no injuries in your accident, but the other person seems to be getting out of hand, do call police. That establishes a record of your concerns about the other person's behavior.
Do Pull Over if You Can
If the cars are still operable after the accident, pull over to the side of the road. Even if you are on a road with no traffic, move over because the more laws you obey now, the better your case looks if the other driver makes claims against you in an effort to pin blame on you (for example, claiming you didn't even pay attention to laws demanding you pull over instead of blocking traffic). It seems like an insignificant thing, but every action that you execute properly works in your favor.
The police and your insurance companies will take it from there, but the money you get for medical expenses and car repairs may end up not being enough to cover your actual expenses. In that case, contact a car accident attorney to discuss legal options.
Share12 October 2017
Hello, my name is Matthew. Welcome to my site. I am here to talk to you about accident and personal injury attorneys. When I was involved in a serious accident, I had to recover for months in the hospital. My finances suffered due to mounting medical bills and lost wages. I dealt with considerable pain through every phase of the healing process. I worked with an accident and personal injury attorney to obtain compensation for the repercussions of the accident. I created this site to help others find an attorney to work with so they too could acquire compensation following an accident.