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The most common mistakes after an auto accident

On Behalf of | Oct 12, 2021 | Motor Vehicle Accidents |

Experiencing a vehicular collision is almost always a traumatic experience. It’s hard to know the best way to react in the moment, but these are often the most critical moments for building a strong case. There are several major mistakes that Minnesota drivers make in the aftermath of a car crash that often make it impossible to claim the damages they would’ve otherwise been entitled to.

Mistakes may be made at any step

Some of the mistakes that are made after an accident happen in the minutes and hours after the incident while others occur weeks or months after the fact. It’s highly advisable that anyone who has filed an insurance claim should carefully consider any action that may impact the claim’s value.

Mistakes that often happen directly after the collision include:

• Not calling the police

• Leaving the scene of the collision

• Not seeking medical attention immediately

• Failing to gather evidence

When you don’t call the police or seek medical attention right away, it gives evidence for the insurance company’s investigators to point at. Even simply leaving the motor vehicle accident scene, even when you weren’t the one at fault, doesn’t look good in the investigation.

Mistakes that happen later during the course of the investigation are:

• Admitting you’re at fault

• Not reporting the incident to your insurance company

• Posting about the accident on social media

• Saying too much to insurance adjusters

• Accepting the initial settlement offer

• Waiting too long before taking action

With people living their lives more publicly than ever, investigators have troves of evidence to gather from social media to use to damage a motor vehicle accident claim. This is one of the big ways that people accidentally admit they are at fault or diminish the severity of an accident. This is also what happens when many people talk to insurance adjusters, giving them too much trust and oversharing with them.

Car accidents are violent experiences that often cause significant damage to vehicles and may even result in lasting injuries. Although it’s hard to keep a cool head in such a jarring moment, it’s extremely important to avoid making mistakes that will damage your insurance claim or lawsuit. To ensure that you’re compensated fairly, it’s important to tread carefully — not just immediately after the accident, but throughout the course of the claim’s investigation as well.