You sit down at a red light after a long day and you reach down to change the radio station when suddenly you’ve been hit by another driver who wasn’t paying attention. It’s a fairly minor accident as you both step out of your car to assess the damage. You both feel fine, so you decide to keep it between the two of you is would you really need a lawyer after such a minor accident?
The truth is, you just made a huge mistake. Even after a minor car accident, you need to let the police know. In order to help you with even a minor car accident, we’ve compiled a list of what not to do.
What Not to Do After a Minor Car Accident
There are several things that you shouldn’t do, even after a minor car accident. Even minor car accidents can have invisible injuries and there is a chance the other party will file a claim against you. Here is a list of things you should avoid after a car accident:
- Leaving the Scene of An Accident Without Reporting it: Leaving the scene of even a minor car accident without reporting it to the police is a major mistake. The police report will be used in a minor car accident lawsuit to help the judge award the plaintiff the appropriate damages.
- Failing to Gather Evidence: Before leaving the scene of an accident, you need to take as many pictures as you can, as many phone numbers as you can, and as many accounts as you can from people nearby. You should let your car accident lawyer sort through everything and determine what is valuable and what is not.
- Noth Seeing a Doctor: Even after a minor car accident you to see a medical professional to ensure that you don’t develop any injuries from the accident. Some injuries can form hours or even a few days after the accident. Can become more difficult to attribute them to the accident and not some other wear and tear if you choose to go forward with a lawsuit.
- Failing to Understand Insurance Companies: It is important to remember that insurance companies are first and foremost a business and not your friend. They exist to make money and that means they want to pay out as little as possible for your injuries. When you make your claim, they are going to settle for less just to keep their bottom line.
- Not Hiring a Lawyer: it is often in your best interest to hire a lawyer even after a minor car accident. They can help you sort through all the necessary information and help you through any claims that you may want to file.
We know that going through a car accident can be stressful and that is why we recommend hiring a car accident lawyer like our friends at Greenspan & Greenspan P.C. for assistance with your case.