Summer has arrived in Salt Lake City, and many are getting out to enjoy the rays. An increase in people outside means more people are out on the road — especially teen drivers since school is out. Eager to get to their summer destinations, drivers are more careless, which is why the summer months are the deadliest months to drive in.
If you do find yourself in an auto accident and panic in the midst of the chaos, stay calm and remember what you shouldn’t do if you want to avoid getting a lawyer involved.
Don’t Leave the Scene
No matter if you’re in a hurry, on your way to work or just don’t want to deal with the car accident, it is illegal to flee the scene until the proper authorities arrive. By leaving the scene, you automatically get yourself a misdemeanor plus fines — and even potential jail time.
Don’t Admit Fault
Regardless if it was your fault or not, don’t apologize to the people in the other vehicle. Saying “I’m sorry,” can amount to admitting fault after an accident. Law enforcement is there to make sense of the accident. Let them do all the work. If passengers are hurt and you admit an apology, you could be ruled at fault and possibly will need a lawyer if the other vehicle presses charges.
Don’t Forget to Follow Up
You may want to forget about the traumatic experience as soon as you can walk away, but unfortunately you may need to deal with medical issues, insurance claims and other complications of the auto accident. If you have persistent pain, you should see a doctor and touch base with a lawyer if you think the medical bills will be hefty. If the other drive is lawyering up, you should too.
Within a few days of the accident, you should file a claim with your insurance company. Many companies have limited windows of when you can do so. The earliest is always better.
Getting into an accident can be traumatic and scary. To keep calm and collected, remember the do’s and don’ts.
Sources:
https://www.libertymutual.com/masterthis/handling-a-car-accident
http://auto.howstuffworks.com/car-driving-safety/accidents-hazardous-conditions/5-things-after-car-accident5.htm
https://www.esurance.com/info/car/dangers-of-summer-driving