Any victim of a car accident gets dazed and confused in its aftermath. In all probability, his car would be damaged, and he and his co-passengers would have sustained injuries. Moreover, there would be worries about loss of income, his family, car repairs, seeking compensation, insurance, etc. So, it is natural that his thinking and logic get all garbled up when the accident occurs.
Unfortunately, many victims get confused and make mistakes – and these mistakes often put them on the wrong side of Utah’s accident law. Our team of experienced car accident attorneys created this list of 3 key mistakes that people make after an accident and end up weakening their case:
Mistake # 1: Not Calling 911
Many at-fault drivers often chat with the victim after the accident and cajole him not to call 911. However, Utah’s accident law requires you to call 911 if the accident resulted in personal injury, blockage of traffic, or property damage exceeding $1,500.
You cannot immediately assess any of these because symptoms can show up after a few days, and only a repair shop can estimate the quantum of damages.
Therefore, you MUST call 911 and report the accident even if the injuries or property damage is negligible.
Calling 911 strengthens your case when you are filing a compensation claim because it is always the guilty party that is likely to avoid calling 911. The victim has nothing to fear, and therefore he should not hesitate to report the accident to the police.
Mistake # 2: Admitting Fault Indirectly
The victim engages with many people after the accident – such as the at-fault driver, witnesses, the police, and others. While communicating, a victim can indirectly admit fault by making statements that imply he is fully or partially responsible for the accident. For example:
“I’m feeling sorry about the whole thing.”
“I didn’t see your car.”
“I did my best to slow down.”
Once he admits fault indirectly, the case weakens. The lesson here is that you should not say a single word that implies that you are to blame, partially or fully. Even if you are unsure about what happened, do not admit to anything that directly or indirectly points the finger at you.
If you do, Utah’s accident law of comparative negligence will kick in and your case will weaken. Plus, if you admit fault, you can be penalized with violations and your insurance company can hike your premiums. Just describe the sequence of events and make statements only after consulting an experienced car accident attorney.
Mistake # 3: Underestimating Your Injury
Many victims involved in accidents that seem minor often brush off their injuries, while many victims in a moderate accident underestimate them.
Soreness, disorientation, light pain, or stiffness is regarded as “usual” after an accident – but these symptoms can come back to haunt the victim. The soreness may be because of a ligament sprain, the light pain can represent a torn tissue, and disorientation can recur and can be a sign of TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury). Not just that, some symptoms can show up after a few days or weeks.
Therefore, you should not treat your injuries casually. If you do, insurance companies and the at-fault driver can say that you were okay after the accident and that the injuries that are included in the compensation claim cropped up later. They would be on the right side of Utah’s accident law and the case would get loaded in their favor.
Therefore, please do not say you are fine after an accident even if you may be feeling so. Request for medical attention even if the injuries are not visible and let the doctor find out if there is anything wrong. Do not say you are feeling okay; you may say that you are still feeling too traumatized to speak up.
Making any one or all of these three mistakes can weaken your chances of winning your case and getting the compensation claim rightfully due to you. Remember, accident laws are blind, and they rely on facts and evidence – not on emotions.
If you would like to know more about what not to do after an accident, we urge you to take advantage of our free meeting offer.
FREE INITIAL DISCUSSION
We can show you how to stay on the right side of Utah’s accident law in a personal one-to-one.
This is a free, no-pressure, and no-obligation meeting in which our team of experienced car accident attorneys will discuss the strengths and weaknesses of your case. Our team will also demonstrate how we have helped hundreds of victims win millions of dollars in compensation.
In meeting us you have nothing to lose and everything to gain. In fact, you will emerge as a more informed litigant.
Remember, we are just one phone call away.
