A car accident is a disorienting and emotionally distressing experience, even if it’s a comparatively mild one. If you’ve experienced injury or your car has been totaled, that stress can only escalate. It can be tough to figure out who to turn to after a car accident, but there are a few things you should keep in mind to protect yourself from being exploited. Here are the people you should be wary of:
- “Good” Samaritans
Unfortunately, there are scam artists who prey on people who have just been in accidents. These people stop at the scene of the accident and introduce themselves as accident or insurance experts, offering to help you. But these people may be trying to get your information in order to file a false insurance claim in your name — hurting your credibility and taking the payout that your insurance premiums have been paying for in case of accident.
- Auto Injury Attorneys Who Approach You
If you have attorneys contacting you before you’ve even assessed your injuries, that’s a bad sign. These lawyers may be more interested in their own profit than in helping you recover both physically and financially from the accident. If it does become necessary for you to hire an attorney, you should do your research, get referrals and pick one who has an excellent track record in this area of the law.
- The Other Party’s Auto Accident Injury Attorneys
If the other driver has hired lawyers, or if any insurance company attorneys approach you, do not answer their questions. You should politely direct them to your attorney, if you’ve hired one, your insurance agent or the police report (which should contain all the relevant details). It’s particularly important you never apologize for the accident, even out of a sense of courtesy, since the other driver’s attorneys may be able to construe this as an admission of fault.
Do you have any advice on who to turn to after a car accident? Share your expertise in the comments.
