Managing Partner
No one wants to be involved in an auto accident. However, should you ever find yourself in this situation, you certainly don’t want to make the situation worse. Unfortunately, people often make easily avoidable mistakes following car accidents. In this article, we examine the top five mistakes that people make after getting into a car accident.
#1: Admitting Guilt
Following a car accident, it’s normal to want to resolve things quickly. Sometimes, this leads those who’ve been involved in car accidents to apologize for the crash—even if they aren’t at fault. Although apologizing is considered a polite thing to do under normal circumstances, it is the wrong thing to do following a car accident. To put it simply, an apology you give to the other party following a car accident can be used against you down the line, so you should refrain from doing so.
#2: Failing to Gather Evidence
When it comes to car accident cases, evidence is everything. In other words, without good evidence, your odds of obtaining financial compensation after a car crash are low. Therefore, following a car crash in New York, you should gather as much evidence as possible. Examples of evidence to gather after a car accident include:
- Photos and videos of the scene of the accident
- Photos and videos of injuries and damage
- Names and contact information of witnesses
#3: Skipping the Doctor
Failing to obtain medical treatment after a car crash is another big mistake. And this applies even if you don’t believe you’ve been seriously injured. In addition to immediately addressing any injuries you may have suffered in the accident, going to the doctor creates a paper trail that can be useful in your case. Obtaining medical attention after an accident also demonstrates that you took steps to address your health as quickly as possible and didn’t allow your injuries to grow worse due to your own inaction.
#4: Settling Too Quickly
Insurance companies will often offer car accident victims a quick (and often low) settlement to make the case go away. However, the first offer received by an insurance company is rarely the best offer. Therefore, accepting the first settlement offer from the insurance company is almost always a mistake. Instead, you should only communicate with the insurance company through your personal injury attorney, and you should rely on him or her to place a value on your case. You can then use this valuation to guide your future settlement decisions.
#5: Failing to Contact a Long Island Personal Injury Attorney
Finally, one of the worst mistakes people make following a car accident is failing to contact a personal injury attorney. Without an attorney, a person’s chances of fair financial recovery after an accident are drastically reduced. So, if you’ve been involved in a car wreck in New York, you should contact the experienced lawyers at Dell & Dean, PLLC. When you come to us for assistance, we will aggressively pursue financial compensation for your injuries. Please contact us to schedule a meeting with one of our experienced car accident attorneys.
