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3 Things You Should And Shouldn't Do If You Are In A Car Accident

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Car accidents happen everyday. Some of them are severe, while others are just mild fender benders. Regardless of the severity of the accident, it is important that if you are in a car accident you protect yourself legally. Many times the other party will try to file a personal injury lawsuit against you, and you need to make sure that you are doing everything you can to protect yourself. Here are a couple things that you should and shouldn't do if you are in a car accident.

1. Don't Admit Fault In Anyway

One of the worst things you can do is admit that you were at fault for the accident. Even if it was your fault, you should be careful in what you say. Saying something like "I wasn't looking," "my kids distracted me," or "I didn't see you" could imply that you caused the accident. Instead, you should keep those statements to yourself and simply talk about the facts of the accident with the other party.

In most cases saying "I'm sorry" is not an admission of guilt. Thus, you could apologize for the damage to the car or for the fact that you are in this situation, but you shouldn't accept any responsibility.

2. Do Get An Official Report With The Police

Even if it is a small accident, you need to call the police. This will protect you in the case that there is an actual lawsuit filed. When you call the police they will make an official report of the accident. If you don't have this report it will become a he said she said battle between the two parties. Consequently, make sure that you have the police on site, and report all of the facts of the case to them at that moment.

3. Don't Leave The Scene

Lastly, you should never leave the scene of the accident until you have been excused by the police, or until both parties are satisfied and have all the information that they need. Even if you are in a hurry, you should take the time to get all of the information about each other's insurance, and personal information. In addition, if it looks like it was a hit and run, you could be in trouble with the police, and you could have a personal injury lawsuit as well.

These are just a couple things that you should do if you are in a car accident to protect yourself. For more information, contact a professional auto accident attorney, such as those at Reed Law, to help guide you through any other steps in the process after an auto accident.


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