Why You Must Never Admit Fault After An Accident
After a car accident, there are many things you need to focus on to make sure that you can avoid reducing the potential payout that you would receive. One thing you need to worry about is anything you could say that could affect the payout you receive. It is especially easy to make this mistake when you have a smartphone and are tempted to post a message about what has happened on social media or message a friend.
Never Say You're Sorry
One of the most common mistakes is to say that you are sorry. This may seem like the natural and polite thing to do, but it can be interpreted as an admission of fault. When you claim that you are sorry, this admission can be included in a witness statement that can reduce the compensation that you may receive in an accident or may even force you to provide compensation for the accident if you are found to be at greater fault.
You May Not Be At Fault
Even if you believe that you are at fault, there may be factors that you are not aware of that may actually cause you to be less at fault. For instance, even though you may have changed lanes and hit another vehicle, that vehicle may have been speeding or the other motorist may have been under the influence. It is better to avoid admitting fault and allow for the facts of the cast to affect the outcome of the case. It is also possible that you did not accurately remember what happened during the accident. Accidents can be stressful and you may have sustained an injury, which could cause you to incorrectly remember the events of the accident.
You Can Easily Be Misunderstood
Another concern is that your explanation of what happened can easily be misunderstood. For example, you may state that you were confused and mean that the confusion occurred immediately after the accident, but the court may misinterpret this as you being confused prior to the accident and this confusion causing you to make mistakes leading to the accident.
The best way to avoid making mistakes with what you say is to speak with an attorney, like one from Gelman Gelman Wiskow & McCarthy LLC, as early as possible. By communicating through a car accident attorney, it will be much less likely that something will be said that would lead to the courts believing that you were at fault.
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