What Not to Do After a Car Accident on Long Island

Have you ever been injured in a car accident on Long Island or anywhere else? If so, you have plenty of company. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), in 2015 there were 6,264,000 non-fatal crashes and 32,166 fatal crashes in the United States alone.

A lot of people are not in one, but in multiple crashes in their lifetime. When you take into account the number of novice drivers (think teenagers) on the roads, and distracted drivers (think texting while driving), it’s understandable why we have as many accidents as we do. Considering the fact that you may very well be in a car accident in the future, it’s important that you know how to conduct yourself. All too often, people are in crashes and they say and do the wrong things. Then, it’s up to their personal injury attorneys to try and make sense of what happened.

If you are involved in an accident, you want to avoid saying and doing the wrong things. We bring this up because it happens a lot; people get scared or nervous and they admit guilt or they flee the scene of an accident – both of which you do not want to do! That said, here is some advice on what not to do after a car accident:

• Don’t admit guilt! Even if you think you’re at fault, you do not want to say, “I am so sorry, it’s all my fault.” You may not be at fault at all, or you may only be partially at fault. It’s better to leave it up to the insurance companies to decide.
• Never flee the scene of an accident. Otherwise, you could face criminal charges for hit and run. Even if the accident was not your fault, you could still be prosecuted if you speed away without performing your duties under the law.
• Don’t give your opinion about the accident. Instead, stick to the facts when the police or insurance companies are asking you what happened.
• If you were on something, don’t lie about it. These days, it’s not uncommon for law enforcement to run blood tests on people after accidents. If you had Xanax or Ambien in your system before the crash, or something else, it will probably be revealed through the investigation.
• Don’t sign any medical releases. Often, the other side’s insurance company will ask a driver to sign a medical release. Insurance companies do this so they can dig into accident victims’ personal medical histories. If they can find an old injury, they may try to blame your claim on “pre-existing injuries.” You are under no obligation to show the adversary your private medical history, so don’t sign any medical release forms.

If you were recently injured in a car, truck, or motorcycle accident, contact our firm to speak with a Long Island personal injury attorney for free. With over 40 years of combined experience, we are qualified to represent you and your best interests – call our firm today!