If you drive a car, odds are at some point in your life you will be involved in a car accident. In fact, if you received your license at age 16, you are more than likely going to get in a car accident by age 34. Over your whole lifetime, you can expect to be in about three-four car accidents, potentially even more. So what should the communication be like with the other driver? Do you speak with them? Can you blame them or should you take the blame? Should you simply wait in your car until the police arrive? Do you need to consult with a personal injury attorney? There are a lot of questions, so let’s discuss it.
The first thing to do after getting into a car accident is to make sure no one is injured. After this is done, it can be easy to get mad or upset with when the other driver, especially when you know it was their fault. The best thing to do in this scenario is to wait until the police arrive to start discussing who is at fault. This is especially important because you don’t want to admit fault or somehow get tied up with that if it wasn’t actually your fault. This might sound kind of funny, but it happens more often than you might think. For example, if you get rear-ended, it might be first instinct to think that it was your fault for slamming on your breaks. However, according to the law, it would be the driver’s fault that hit you because they are responsible for keeping a safe distance between cars. This is when hiring a personal injury attorney is useful is car accidents. They can help address issues with the driver at fault.
If you aren’t too upset with the other driver after moving your car out of traffic and contacting police, you can get out of your car and start to exchange insurance information with them. Again, if tensions are tight, you are better off waiting for police to come to mediate the situation. You don’t have to talk with the other driver till police arrive.
One thing that isn’t widely known is that when dealing with claims, you don’t have to talk to the other driver’s insurance company. In fact, it is often in your best interest to stay away from them. The other driver’s insurance may contact you shortly after the accident for a statement. During the heat of the moment, you may not even realize you have sustained any injuries.
Ultimately, the communication with the other driver should be friendly but cautious. Take down their name, phone number, license plate and insurance information. Beyond this, be careful discussing what happened and why until after authorities are on the scene. If their insurance company wants to talk with you, it may be best to politely decline their request and consult with a personal injury attorney or lawyer first.