If you have a tendency to be a little too honest, the first words out of your mouth following a car wreck might be, “I’m so sorry! It was all my fault!” Honesty may be the best policy — but not when it comes to a wreck.
Being aware of what to do after you get into a car accident may help you stay calm and pay attention to what you’re saying. This is extremely important because what you absolutely should not do is admit to being at fault — even if you are absolutely certain you’re the cause of the accident. Claiming responsibility at the scene is a sure-fire way to discover what happens if you are at fault in a car accident.
What To Do After You Get Into a Car Accident
There are several important steps to follow after you get into a car accident, some immediately, and some over the next few days. You should make sure to:
- Alert emergency services,
- Exchange information with the other driver,
- File a police report,
- Visit an emergency room or your doctor (depending on the severity of your injuries), and
- Report the accident to your insurance company.
Alert the appropriate emergency services includes calling the police, no matter how minor the collision. If the accident is a minor one, it is possible an officer may not appear at the scene. In this case, you should go to the police department to make a statement.
If someone does come, however, they will likely ask all the people involved to answer a few questions. Be sure to stick to the facts and keep your answers brief. If you are not sure of the answer to a question, say “I don’t know;” don’t try to come up with something.
Avoid Admitting Responsibility
Most importantly, do not, under any circumstances, say, “It was my fault,” or any variation thereof. There are several good reasons for this. In the first place, most insurance contracts contain a clause requiring the policy holder to refrain from admitting fault or accepting responsibility for any care accident — and this is true of all accidents, not just car wrecks in Missouri.
Second, whether you’re making this admission to a police officer or another driver, it could come back to cause significant repercussions. The police will file an official report, which can be used by not only you and any legal team you choose to hire, but also by the other party’s legal team — and that can be seriously damaging.
Moreover, if you make a statement to this effect to the other driver, you can bet he’s going to report it to his own insurance company — and insurance adjusters are largely in charge of deciding who was at fault based on the information they receive. If you claim responsibility at the scene, your admission will definitely influence the adjusters decision.
Even if you legitimately think it was your fault and are willing to accept responsibility, you don’t know all the circumstances. Maybe you did something that seemed to cause the accident, but it’s equally possibly there were mitigating circumstances about which you have no idea and which could potentially exonerate you (at least partially).
What Happens If I’m At Fault In a Car Accident?
Once the insurance adjusters have all the information, they will make decisions about who is at fault. This decision is based on:
- Reports provided by the parties involved,
- Pertinent documents (such as police reports, medical reports, and any pictures available from the scene of the crash), and
- An inspection of the vehicles (and any other property) involved in the accident.
Since the purpose of having car insurance is to prevent having to pay for damages in a situation like this, ideally, if you are at fault, your insurance will cover the costs owed to the other driver. However, different policies cover different types of accidents; depending on exactly what happened during the wreck, not all of the financial obligations expected of you may be met by your insurance policy.
Benefits of an Injury Lawyer After a Car Accident
If one or more of the other parties involved in the accident was injured, this can complicate things significantly. If you are deemed to be at fault, the other driver may choose to pursue an injury claim. This is where an injury lawyer comes in handy. In fact, a car accident injury attorney can be extremely useful throughout the entire process.
If you have a car wreck attorney working for you, they can navigate insurance companies, provide the legwork for gathering evidence, and make sure you know what to expect. Car accident injury attorneys are experts, who can answer all the questions weighing on your mind, such as “what happens if I am at fault in a car accident?” and “how long after a car accident can I claim injury?” Hiring an injury lawyers means you have an expert on your side who will help you every step of the way, whether you’re at fault or not.
How Long After a Car Accident Can You Claim Injury?
Certain types of injuries are more likely depending on certain aspects of the accident; for example, head on collisions may cause brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, or even loss of limb. Additionally, more pervasive injuries are obviously worth more in a claim or lawsuit. Most claims include damages for medical bills, property damage, pain and suffering, lost wages, and other issues directly related to the accident.
If someone is injured in a car wreck, Missouri law has a statute of limitations of five years. This means the injured parties have up to five years from the date the injury occurred to file a claim for damages. If you are at fault and the other driver was injured (especially if the injury and/or property damage was significant, such as traumatic brain injury or something that results in chronic issues or permanent disability), they do have a right to sue you.
Now, this is where not blurting out “I’m responsible!” becomes so important. If you are only partially responsible and have also been injured, then you also have the right to bring a claim for damages against the other partially responsible party. Working with a Missouri car wreck injury attorney immediately benefits you in a variety of ways.
Missouri Car Wreck Injury Attorneys Near Me
Having an injury lawyer who knows the laws for car wrecks in Missouri means you can focus on recovering and let us take care of the work and worry. If you’re worried about what happens if you are at fault in a car accident, you need an experienced attorney who will fight for you. If you’ve been in a car wreck, Missouri Injury Recovery delivers dollars for injured clients.
See what your case is worth! To schedule a free consultation, call us today at (866)695-6318 or visit our website at www.missouriinjuryrecovery.com/.
