Don’t Ever Do This One Thing If You’re In A Connecticut Car Accident, Instead, Do This

If you are ever involved in a Connecticut car accident you may become scared and startled by the impact of the crash and panic once the dust settles.  Even if you’ve been reading along with our blog and have a firm grasp on what to do when you’re in an accident you may not be approaching it with a clear head.  After all, it can be very challenging to be in your right mind when you’ve been hit or you’ve hit someone else with your vehicle.

In that moment, immediately following the crash, there are going to be a million things that are racing through your head.  You will think about the damage that your car has experienced.  You may think about any pain or injuries you may be experiencing.  You might think about whether the accident was your fault or the other driver’s fault.  You may be thinking about the potential trouble you may be in if you are found to be at fault.  All of these thoughts racing through your head may lead you to one conclusion, that it may make sense to leave the scene of the accident.  

DO NOT DO THIS.

Getting into an accident can be a traumatizing event for any driver, but leaving the scene of the accident  is not just be traumatizing, but it is very likely illegal and will put you in a lot more hot water then you otherwise might have been.  All of the things that are racing through your head will pale in comparison to those that you will be feeling when you are tracked down as the guilty party for fleeing the scene of an accident.  

Being the driver that left the scene of an accident can put you at legal jeopardy, not to mention it is dangerous to the person who you were involved in the accident with, it is dangerous to you and any passengers who may be in the vehicle with you and it could be dangerous to others who you may come in contact with when your racing away from the scene of the accident.  It is quite likely that if you leave the scene of the accident, you will be creating more problems for yourself and those around you than you ever would have if you stayed to face the consequences of the accident.

Instead of leaving the scene of the accident you should take the following steps.

1. Call 911.  Involving police in the investigation of the accident is good for all parties involved so the truth about the incident will be in a formal report and insurance companies can base their compensation based on documented facts.  Calling 911 is also the right thing to do if someone is injured at the scene, so medical attention can be given if needed.

2. If you and your vehicle are able, make yourself visible or move out of the flow of traffic.  This becomes especially important if the accident were to occur at night when visibility is at its lowest.  If you do not become visible to on-coming traffic you may put yourself at risk of getting into an even more significant accident.

3. Exchange information with the driver of the other vehicle so everyone involved can stay in communication.  This information should include things like names, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses and insurance information.  If you have all of this information it will be a much smoother process to file a claim with your insurance company.

Getting into a Connecticut car accident can be a scary thing, however if you follow the steps above and you do the right thing it can get resolved and you can walk away with the proper medical attention and a complete set of facts that can help make all those involved right again.  If you drive away from the scene of an accident you may be putting yourself at risk of losing a lot more than a little bit of your time.

However an accident occurs, you may need to speak with an experienced attorney who has worked on situations like yours in the past.  Contact our office and one of our attorneys will review your situation and work with you to help protect your long-term interests.