(150+)Car accidents shatter more than the windshield. In an instant, your life can be smashed to pieces. Serious car accidents leave motorists in serious pain, and many of them don’t know what to do. Call us today. Accident victims have important legal rights, but it’s critical to take the right steps after a South Carolina car accident. An experienced Greenville car accident lawyer explains more below.
What to Do after a Car Accident
Some motorists are in so much pain that they can only pray for an ambulance to arrive and whisk them to the hospital. But if you can move around the accident scene, we recommend the following steps:
- Ask others if they need an ambulance. Prioritize health. Ask all passengers if they need an ambulance and call emergency services if anyone does.
- Report the accident to the police. The police should send an officer to the scene to create an accident report. This report is useful because it contains critical information, such as the location and date of the accident.
- Share information with the other driver. You should swap license, registration, and insurance information.
- Photograph the accident scene. Documenting the scene is critical. None of the people involved in negotiating your claim will have seen the accident, so you need to preserve it as best you can. Get photos of all vehicles and zoom in on the sides where there are dents and dings. Also, photograph anything else that looks relevant at the scene, such as debris on the road or an obscured stop sign.
- Speak to witnesses. Ask them what they saw, if anything. You should get their name and phone number in case your lawyer needs to talk with them.
- Visit the hospital. When done at the scene, you should head to the hospital to see a doctor. Tell the medical staff you were involved in an accident and identify where you feel pain. Remember to preserve all medical bills and statements from your health insurer.
By taking these steps, you build the factual basis of your claim. Car accidents in South Carolina are analyzed based on fault.
Photographs and witnesses help us see which driver was responsible for the crash.
Mistakes to Avoid After a Car Accident
It is possible to severely damage your personal injury case by making certain mistakes, which could cost you money. We recommend that you don’t do any of the following:
- Avoid admitting fault for the crash. You might be tempted to apologize to the other driver. But admitting fault can reduce your compensation in South Carolina—or possibly prevent you from bringing a claim at all.
- Do not move the cars before getting a few pictures. It’s helpful to get a couple of photos of the two cars smashed together. It will only take a minute, and then you can pull them to the curb.
- Avoid self-diagnosing your injuries. Some people head home and visit the Mayo Clinic website to diagnose their injuries. You should go to the hospital.
- Do not give a recorded statement. Some insurance companies will call you up at home a few days after the accident, asking you to tell them your side of the story. You should decline to talk until you have hired a lawyer. You probably are not feeling well, and you might slip up and say something that isn’t entirely accurate but undermines your claim.
- Don’t accept the first settlement offer. The first settlement offer is typically too low, and you can do better by hiring our firm to represent you in negotiations.
- Avoid handling your own claim. A car accident claim might sound easy. You just check some boxes on a couple of forms and then receive a check a few days later. Unfortunately, negotiating a settlement requires a focused, results-driven approach.
Why Comparative Fault is a Problem in South Carolina Car Accidents
Did you know any of these statements could cut your settlement in half?
- “I was looking at the dash when the accident happened.”
- “Sure, I was on the phone when I made that left-hand turn.”
- “I’m sorry I didn’t see you. I wasn’t watching.”
South Carolina recognizes comparative fault. Your share of fault will reduce your settlement by a similar percentage. If you are 35% to blame for the crash, then your settlement will be cut by 35%. Any admission of fault can shrink your settlement.
Even worse, if you are more than 50% to blame, you will not receive anything. You can be sure insurance companies are digging for any slight admission that you are partially to blame for a crash.
It is best to say nothing to them until you hire Elliott Frazier — Family, Personal Injury, & Car Accident Attorneys, LLC.
Social Media Etiquette Following an Accident
Social media is another potential landmine for car accident victims. Most of our clients have Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok. Unfortunately, posting information online can hurt their case. Try to avoid the following:
- Don’t talk about the accident on social media because you could inadvertently admit fault.
- Don’t post pictures or videos of yourself at a birthday party or during Christmas. These pictures make it appear as if you aren’t injured.
- Turn off the ability of other people to tag you in pictures without your consent.
- Disable the “check in” feature on Facebook, which shows where you have visited.
Any of this information could come up in settlement negotiations. An experienced car accident lawyer can try to explain it away, but it’s better if you don’t post it in the first place.
Please set your accounts to private and decline to add friends until your case is finished. In fact, don’t mention the accident or your injuries at all.
Call Our Office Today to Schedule a Free Consultation
Car accidents are incredibly expensive, with many motorists incurring thousands of dollars in medical care, to say nothing of damage to their vehicle. You need a seasoned negotiator like Elliott Frazier, in your corner to fight for the maximum compensation for your injuries. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation with our office to discuss possible legal options.
