At the scene of a car accident, you’ll likely feel shocked and confused and will need to exchange information with the other driver immediately. Be careful of what you say when you are at the scene of the accident, however, particularly when you are talking to the other driver. Statements made by drivers in the immediate aftermath of the accident could become powerful evidence in a personal injury claim down the road.
You might not know immediately whether you’re going to file an injury claim, but it’s a good idea to protect yourself just in case by staying quiet at the scene. There are many pertinent details to be evaluated, but this is best done by a Louisiana car accident attorney, not you and the other driver.
There are multiple reasons why a driver may be at fault for an accident, but you should leave this up to your attorney and not have the conversation at the scene. You do need to share pertinent contact details like your insurance information and where you can be reached with the other driver at the scene of the accident.
You’ll also want to file a police report so that you have a record of what happened. This can be important evidence to refer to down the line. Do not engage in a conversation about blame and fault with the other driver at the scene of the accident. Leave this to your personal injury attorney to evaluate later on.
This can help to avoid making statements that are inaccurate or untrue at the scene and prevent a tense situation from escalating any further. Your statements could be misunderstood or you could be wrong if you accidently take blame for the incident. Leave these details up to your personal injury attorney.