4 Things You Should Do To Protect Yourself From A Car Accident Lawsuit

It is common knowledge that car accidents can breed lawsuits. If you are not careful, you could put yourself at risk for a lawsuit simply by how you handle the situation. Here are some things you need to do if you are in a car accident to protect yourself.

1. Don't Admit Any Fault Or Guilt

After the accident, you might tempted to tell the other person how sorry you are or make up an excuse as to why the accident happened. For instance you might say "My child was yelling so I wasn't even looking" or "I looked away for one second and BAM!" Any of these statements can work against you. Instead, even if you did cause the accident, you shouldn't say anything about it.

You can, however, say, "I'm sorry." This is generally not an expression of guilt. You should be able to say that you are sorry without admitting that you caused the accident.

2. Do Take Pictures Of The Accident

Any pictures you can take, you should. The other person may not want you to take pictures of them, but you should take pictures of your car, their car, the site where it happened and anything else that might be pertinent. These pictures could help to explain the situation and what happened in the case that the other party files a lawsuit.

3. Do Call The Police

Although you might think that the accident was simple enough that it doesn't require the police, having a police report will be very helpful. The report is an official document that will be used if there were a lawsuit filed. This is why you should get the police there to write about the accident, take down names, testimony of witnesses and anything else that they might do.

4. Don't Leave The Scene Without Insurance Information

Before you leave the scene you need to make sure that you have the insurance information of the other party. In most cases the damages will be paid through the insurance company. If you don't have access to the other persons insurance you may have just lost out on getting restitution for your damages. Make sure you get a picture of their insurance card, or at the very least their full name, license plate number and insurance provider.

By doing these things, you can protect yourself if you are in an auto accident. 

To learn more about a car accident lawyer, contact a law firm like John Tamming Law Office CPP law.