What should people not do after being involved in car accidents?

Being involved in a car accident is naturally a shocking experience, and the occupants of a wrecked car may not be able to think clearly immediately after the accident. While most Missouri motorists may have been drilled about what to do in the event of car accidents, they may not be aware of what they should not do. There are certain things people do after such a shocking experience that may not only be detrimental to their own safety, but also to any financial claim they may want to pursue at a later stage.

In order to abide by traffic laws, drivers should not move their smashed cars after an accident, unless it is for safety reasons or they are ordered to do so by officials. If the accident occurred in an area where high volumes of traffic are present, or where your safety is threatened, you should not remain on the accident scene. By moving a safe distance away, you can avoid further injury. However, you should not leave the accident scene altogether since that may constitute a hit-and-run.

Things that you should not do that may damage a potential future claim include not discarding anything that may be potential evidence. Items such as bloodied or torn clothing, car parts lying about and defective products that may have caused the accident should be retained, even if you only photograph them, as removal of such items may jeopardize the accident investigation. In the event that a car could catch on fire, you should not remain inside the vehicle, but rather try your best to escape any flames or potential fire.

It is important to refrain from any conversations with bystanders or other motorists relating to who was responsible for the accident. Furthermore, despite how bad you feel about what happened, never admit guilt or apologize to anybody for anything that you may have done. The last thing that is often best avoided at all costs after car accidents is to never accept any settlement offered by another party before consulting with a Missouri.

Source: FindLaw, “Car Accident Dos and Don’ts“, , Aug. 30, 2014