Things You Should Never Say At The Scene Of A Car Accident

Getting into a car accident, even a small one, can be very scary. Most people are shaken up and nervous in that situation, so it can be hard to think clearly. Here are a few things that should never be said at the scene of a car accident, no matter whose fault it was.

Avoid your urges

It’s natural for human beings to want to make sure that the other person is okay when they have been in a car crash. But, you should avoid bending to your natural urges to say things like ‘sorry’. Although you mean well, this is going to sink your ship when it comes to a lawsuit. By apologizing you are effectively admitting guilt. The other party may not say a word to you in regard to this, but it will come back to haunt you when they file their papers and quote you as saying you were sorry.

Refrain from bravado

Don’t say things like ‘I’m not hurt’ or ‘I’m okay’. You will be admitting that you actually aren’t that hurt or in any pain and thus, harm your case for decent compensation. Also, you are going to be under a lot of adrenaline, and this is the body’s natural defense mechanism. It will numb most sensations of pain and thus, you may think you are fine but you may well be very hurt. The pain will only become apparent when things have calmed down and this could be 10-30 minutes.

It was me

Do not ever say things like ‘it’s totally my fault’. You are just asking for trouble at this point. When you have been in a car accident all sorts of emotions will be rushing through your mind. You may be entirely innocent but seeing another human being hurt in close proximity and in an incident that you are involved in, can make you feel as if it was your fault. Do not fall for this, you must be stoic and calm.

Making it official

You will be asked a lot of questions by the police about what took place. You should never say that this is your official statement unless you have done so through the channels of your legal team. Your lawyer should write your official statement and then hand that into the police. You are under no obligation to give your final statement to the police about what happened.

Uncertain? Then keep silent

If you are not sure about what happened, do not say ‘I think’. This is going to open a very subtle but very real legal can of worms. The other side will use this against you, saying that ‘I think’ constitutes to your perception, your opinion and how you saw things on the day of the accident. They will try to separate the facts from your perception and find a way to obscure your reality. This can end in tears, so just keep quiet and don’t say ‘I think’.

If you have any further questions about how to protect yourself at the scene of a crash and or what you can do about it after the fact, contact us now on 936 634 1414 or use our enquiry box on our website.