When you experience a car crash, your fear may slowly turn into panic — causing you to become overwhelmed with emotions. While these feelings are normal, they can also cause you to be more susceptible to making mistakes that can affect your rights.
To ensure that your actions after the accident do not carry legal consequences, you must learn which mistakes you need to avoid making. Here are three common errors people make after a car accident:
Neglecting medical care
It is common for crash victims to ignore their injuries or postpone seeking medical attention. This mistake can not only worsen their injuries or condition but also impact the validity of their personal injury claim.
When a crash victim postpones getting medical care, it creates a dated gap in their medical records. Their insurance company could use this key detail to argue that their injuries did not originate from the accident.
Failing to call the police
In New York State, any type of accident that has caused an injury (to a person or a domestic animal), a death or over $1,000 in property damage must be reported to the local police and the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). Keep in mind that these are two separate crash reports.
If a crash victim does not follow the standard crash reporting protocol, the DMV may suspend their driving privileges until their report is on file.
Not collecting proof of the crash
Although it is reasonable to assume that not all crash victims will have the same amount of physical and mental capacity to collect proof of the crash, these items are vital forms of evidence.
For example, the crash victim suffered from a severe injury that led to them staying in the hospital. Instead of collecting evidence on their own, they can ask their friends or family members to do this for them.
Alternatively, they may also hire a lawyer who can gather evidence on their behalf while they also guide them throughout their entire claims process.
Proactiveness can lead to better choices and outcomes
The actions you take following your accident are crucial for your health and your legal rights. When you learn about which mistakes to avoid, you can make informed decisions about your case that can lead to more favorable outcomes.