Road traffic accidents are one of the leading causes of death in the world today. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 1.35 million people die of road traffic accidents annually.
The aftermath of car accidents can be extremely traumatizing and daunting, especially when things go upside down in a jiffy. Finding skilled and experienced car accident attorneys can pose a greater challenge.
Ethically and morally, there are certain things that better not be mentioned by both the injured party and by the at fault party present at the accident scene. You may have a habit of continually apologizing for the littlest of things, but car accidents are not amongst those little things.
A few words uttered by you might make the case difficult to handle for your accident lawyer, and you might end up in an elongated process of hearings and police investigation. Likewise, there are also some things that you must not say, as that may trigger the other party.
3 Things Not to Say as a Car Accident Witness
Although several things should not be brought up, discussed, or talked about at a car accident scene, we have included the three most problematic ones:
Don’t Give Advice
When spotting a car crash, rushing in to help is great, but don’t give suggestions and advice because advising the victim is the last thing you should be doing. There is already so much going on in the affected person’s life right now, and your generalization may worsen their situation.
Don’t Comment on Their Injuries
Avoid using phrases like “Oh, you are hurt.” or “This does not look good.” An injured person is already in immense pain, mentioning the phrases as mentioned above may cause more distress or might deteriorate their health.
Don’t Investigate Unless You Are the Police
Avoid asking questions like, “Were you drunk?”, “What did you think when you bumped into that mustang?”, or “Are you worried about something?”. You may be a Curious George, but asking these questions will not help the victim.
4 Things Not to Say as an Injured Party
Just like the former, there are several things that you – as a victim – should not say. We have chosen four unnecessary things that victims usually say when they should not.
Sorry
Google defines accidents as “an unfortunate event that happens unexpectedly and unintentionally.” Now, there is a general rule of thumb: you don’t apologize for things that happen unexpectedly. When you say “I’m sorry,” it implies you are the one at fault, so avoid saying “sorry.”
I’m Fine
People who get into car accidents without any huge losses generally consider the smaller injuries and bruises to be not that big a deal. However, it would be best if you got yourself medically checked by a doctor in a hospital because usually, the damage is internal. So, quit thinking I’m fine and uninjured because you may not really be. And, getting medical attention right away starts a paper trail of evidence of any injuries you may have incurred if you seek reparations for your damages in the future. Visit this URL to learn more about the steps to take after an accident.
“I think…”
This may seem small, but it gives birth to suspicion. When you start saying, “I think the tire burst” or, “I think the food made me dizzy,” you are indirectly and unknowingly hinting that your accident is staged and that you knew there was something wrong with your car or you are somehow to blame for the cause of the accident. This will get you in yet another troubling situation, so saying I think must be avoided.
No Attorney, No Official Statement
Rushing into giving your official statement without a car accident lawyer or attorney is not great and must be avoided. Until and unless you have been ordered from your car accident lawyer to give a statement, you must not speak up —especially to the other party’s insurance company. If you are in need of additional help you can contact Criminal lawyers Melbourne.
