Things You Must Never Do Right After A Car Accident

Things You Must Never Do Right After A Car Accident

There are certain things that you must never do immediately following a car accident such as missing the chance to report on road accident to the appropriate authorities.

For most young professionals who work five days a week on an average monotony is a major factor and this is why whenever they get a weekend they try to take a break for the same. Now, this could mean taking their cars out and going on a long drive during the evenings. However, normally during the weekends, the traffic is at its peak at this time of the day as everybody is out there to have fun before Monday comes calling.

This also means a higher chance of being involved in an accident case. Now it could be a minor one or a major one. Still, it is an accident, is it not?

9 Things NOT to do Right After a Car Accident

1. Leaving the Accident Site  

This is the first thing on the list of things that you must never do following an accident. As per the laws, if your car is involved in an accident you must stop it immediately. In this case, it does not matter if you killed or injured someone or damaged their property. If you do not do so and leave the accident site you could be punished heavily. So, whenever you are involved in an accident stop there and call the police.

If you can, get some medical help for the injured.

2. Forgetting to call the police

You must provide a road accident report to the police immediately after the same. A lot of people think that the police need to be alerted following an accident only when there is a death. This is a big mistake. As we have said already, no matter what happens in the accident you have to report it to the police. The FIR (first information report) needs to be filed with the police as soon as possible. This would be crucial evidence when you make a claim on your car insurance later on.

This would include information regarding the accident, names and contact details of the witnesses, information on the road, and a description of the way the accident occurred.

3. Getting angry 

If you have met with an accident you must never lose your cool. It is indeed rather disappointing to see a prized asset that cost so much money – your car in this case – get damaged because of an accident where you were not at fault. You must never get angry at the people who caused the accident though as this is not the right time to do so.

4. Forgetting to note down information

Before leaving the accident site, you must jot down as much information as you can about the same. A lot of people involved in car accidents in India usually forget to do this. Click pictures of the accident site and note down the names and contact details of the people involved in the same. This includes the witnesses of the accident. You must also make sure that you get the details of the insurer of the third party.

Try to note down the likes of license plate numbers, and the date and time of the accident.

Basically, you need to note down all information that seems to be relevant in these cases. If you do please be sure that you would face a rather tough time when the third party approaches the MACT (Motor Accident Claims Tribunal) for such a case.

5. Admitting fault and saying sorry  

You must never say sorry or admit that you are at fault immediately after a motor vehicle accident. In fact, when you are talking with the insurer too you must never do this. It is always better, to be honest in these cases and narrate the entire incident just as it happened. If you say sorry to the third party your insurer could use your statement against you as a way of avoiding the prospect of paying for the damages that you may have caused.

6. Neglecting the follow-up  

We all know the punishment for road accidents in Indian law. However, that should not deter you from following the process that you are supposed to follow in these cases. This means talking with your insurer about the accident. In fact, the insurer of the third party may call you as well. In this case, you might have to deal with legal processes. These tasks would take time but if you neglect them, things would only get worse. If needed you can get help from professional lawyers in such case.

They would be able to provide you with the help that you need in the aftermath of such incidents. In fact, you must also get legal help when you are talking to your insurer about this so that your claim is not compromised in any way.

7. Agreeing to unfair settlements  

This is something that you must know in this particular context. So, never get into negotiations without enlisting the help of lawyers who know the motor vehicle accident case laws in India. These discussions normally involve complex legal issues and you may not necessarily be aware of the same.

8. Filing a case in the tribunal by yourself  

Following an accident case, you must hire the services of a experienced lawyer to approach the MACT for settling a claim. In certain cases, your insurer would be representing you in court.

9. Worrying about the increase in premium 

This is the last thing that you should be worried about following an accident case. This is indeed an unsettling time. However, there are a few things that you must know. In most cases, the insurers would only increase the premiums when you have caused the accident. So, if you have not caused the accident there is no need to worry about such a probability. All you have to do is adhere to the guidelines we have mentioned above.

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Also Read: Common Causes Of Road Accidents And How Can You Avoid Them

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