Knowing what to do after a car crash may make it easier to obtain compensation for your injuries. It may also help you avoid being taken into custody by a Louisiana police officer. As a general rule, you’re required to stop as soon as it is safe to do so after a collision occurs. Furthermore, you’re generally required to call for police assistance in the aftermath of a wreck.
What happens if you leave the car accident scene?
Leaving the scene of an accident may result in criminal charges even if you don’t believe that you were the one who caused it to occur. It’s important to note that the law requires you to stay where you are if your vehicle collides with an animal or inanimate object.
What happens if you don’t call the police?
State law generally requires you to render aid after a crash. Generally speaking, rendering aid means calling for a police officer to come to the accident scene. Therefore, failing to call for help could violate your duty of care to other drivers, passengers or pedestrians. It’s worth noting that a police presence can minimize the risk of getting into an altercation with someone who may believe that you caused the collision to occur.
Don’t take responsibility for the accident
You should never apologize to anyone else at the accident scene as it could be construed as an admission of guilt. Furthermore, you shouldn’t make any assumptions about what likely caused the crash to happen when making statements to the police or your insurance company.
It’s generally in your best interest to contact an attorney as quickly as possible after an auto accident. This is because a legal representative may be able to ensure that you don’t say or do anything that could undermine your ability to obtain a favorable outcome in your case.