Being in a car accident is certainly not something to look forward to. They can happen very frequently, and many people find themselves dealing with the shock of an accident when they least expect it. In those cases, the people involved may not know how to react, what to do and what not to do. You may find that you or your passengers have been injured and want to get to the nearest emergency room quickly, or you may feel fine and just want to get home as soon as possible. Before opting for any of the above courses of action, you may want to heed the advice of a Philadelphia car accident lawyer and familiarize yourself with the five most common mistakes that people tend to make in these circumstances. You never know when having this knowledge may come in handy and, most importantly, help you safeguard your legal rights.
It is quite common for people involved in small crashes like fender-benders to skip calling the police. One of the drivers may suggest agreeing to exchange information and not calling the authorities. If you go along with this proposal, you forgo having an official police report which would record what happened at the scene, making any future claims very hard to prove.
When the police arrive and start asking questions, it is easy to say more than you should. Keep your answers brief and to the point. The police can arrive at their own conclusions without you mistakenly incriminating yourself. Also, while waiting for the police, don’t engage in small talk with the other driver speculating on who might be at fault. They are not your friend and may use whatever you say against you in a claim.
You may feel fine after an accident, and maybe you are. Sadly, many injuries do not appear immediately, and many others require a doctor’s diagnosis to be discovered. Treat your health as your most valuable asset, and get a medical checkup as soon as possible after the crash. If there is no medical record relating to your injuries, it will be very hard to prove that they resulted from the accident.
Some of the evidence you need when filing a claim can be gathered at the scene. Do not forget to take pictures of the cars, their damage, their positions on the road, your injuries, and anything else that may have contributed to the accident. Also, if there are any witnesses around, get their contact information should you need to contact them in the future.
If you are injured in an accident and are in the process of filing a claim, posting pictures of yourself enjoying a night out with friends may end up hurting your case. Don’t make things harder for you by allowing the insurance company to deny your claim with these pictures that clearly show a very different story from the one you are telling them. If you need to share details about the accident, do so only with your personal injury attorney, who can help you build a strong case for your defense. Your attorney can conduct a thorough investigation into the accident, gather evidence, and give you an evaluation of your case. This way you will be able to focus on recovering your health.
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