Fairness Is The Name Of The Game When Fault Is Concerned During A New Haven Auto Accident

If you’ve ever been involved in a New Haven auto accident you know that things can move pretty fast and it can be quite jarring. It is more than likely that your heart will start racing and you will breathe heavy as you start to sort through in your mind what just happened. Not to mention, you may be injured and have to think about that and where your pain is once the dust has settled.

In severe accidents you may also become surrounded by people who are there to help you but who may make the scene more stressful for you. Police officers, fire fighters and EMTs are all trained to approach you and keep you calm, but try as they might, you may just feel an overwhelming sense of dread and stress after an accident. It is for this reason that it can be hard to sort out who is at fault in the accident and what that means for you moving forward.

If you’re injured, fault may not be the first thing on your mind, but it should at least be at the top of your mind. When you’re involved in an accident, fault is quite literally the name of the game and admitting fault can mean that you become responsible for the accident, even if the fault is not clear. By taking the responsibility of yourself, without even being asked, you may be putting yourself at risk of worsening the effects of the accident in your future. An admission of fault will put you in a situation where you have to answer for your actions and in some cases, pay for actions. Letting the process unfold and allow the facts to determine fault for an accident is the best thing you can do. Why is this?

Reason #1: The first reason you should not admit fault immediately following an accident is that the scene of an accident can be quite chaotic and adrenaline will be pumping through you so you will not be approaching the situation with a clear mind. It can be difficult, initially, to determine who is at fault in the immediate aftermath of the accident so you will want to make sure that you let the facts play out and the true fault be determined before you jump in and just admit your actions were what caused the accident.

Reason #2: The words you choose in the moment can actually be used against you and be misconstrued as an admission of guilt. Believe it or not, saying something like, “I’m so sorry” or “this is all my fault” can put the onus on you for the situation and can be used against you as an admission of liability. Instead of saying things that could be misconstrued as an admission of guilt you could say something like, “is everyone ok?” or another general phrase that leaves no ambiguity that you are claiming responsibility for the outcome of the accident.

Reason #3: Any statements you make at any time after the accidents can be used by the insurance companies to minimize the amount of money that they need to pay you as the result of the accident. You should stay away from any communication with the other people involved in the accident except to check to make sure everyone is OK and to exchange insurance information. Other then that you should keep to yourself so you don’t say anything that could be used against you by the insurance company to reduce the amount of money you will get to resolve the issues relating to the accident.

It can be hard to stay calm and avoid an admission of fault when you are in a New Haven auto accident, but it may be the most important thing that you do to protect yourself against misunderstanding or misrepresentation. You should not be rude or aggressive against any of the parties involved in the accident, but you should keep to yourself any admission of wrong-doing or fault until all of the facts are discovered and the authorities have made a determination of fault.

When an accident happens you may need assistance in dealing with the fallout from it. If there is property damage and injuries to address you may need to speak with an experienced attorney who can review the details of your situation. Contact our office and one of our attorneys will speak with you about how to move forward to protect your long-term interests.