Being involved in any sort of vehicle accident can cause a lot of anxiety, and a lot of stress. You might have suffered relatively minor injuries in a car wreck. Even worse, you might have been seriously hurt in an accident involving a large truck. You may feel overwhelmed as a result, wondering if you were in any way at fault for the accident. You may feel like talking to someone, thinking it may help clear your mind.
Please be cautious about talking to anyone about your case. If you even raise the slightest question as to whether you were to blame, you could seriously damage your case. Doing so could even lead to the other driver filing a lawsuit against you – leading to potential financial ruin.
The attorneys with Sand Law would like to share some information regarding just how important it is to never, ever admit even the tiniest amount of fault for a car accident. If you have any questions, or you would like to learn more about how we may be able to help you in your case, feel free to contact us online or call 701-609-1510.
Why Attorneys Tell You Not to Admit Fault
If you’ve been hurt in a car accident and have experienced, skilled legal representation, there’s a very good chance you’ll be able to obtain compensation for your medical bills and other accident-related expenses. But if you say you were to blame, those chances will disappear.
Even if you are partially at fault, you may still be eligible for compensation. North Dakota law contains a statute known as “comparative negligence.” This means that fault in an accident can be divided against each driver. If you were less than 50% to blame, you may be able to obtain money. If you were found to be 50% or more to blame, you won’t be able to recover anything.
Never Admit Fault to Anyone
Insurance companies have a long, long reach – much longer than you probably realize. That’s why you should never tell anyone – not even your family members or your closest friends – that you might think you were at least partially to blame for your accident. If you do, those words could severely impact the potential worth of your case.
Adjusters aren’t above using questionable tactics in an effort to help their employers avoid having to pay out car accident claims. They won’t have any problem contacting your friends, family members, and even co-workers. They could inadvertently let something slip, telling the adjuster you had said you might have been partially at fault.
This isn’t paranoia – we’ve seen it happen in the past. Don’t let it happen to you. The best course of action will be to keep the details of the accident to yourself. Don’t say anything to anyone – and please don’t make any mention of the wreck on social media. Even a seemingly off-hand remark or post could be used against you.
What is Considered Admitting Fault?
It won’t feel right, we get it. But you simply have to control your urge to discuss your accident – even if you feel you’re to blame. It really doesn’t matter who you tell, those words could come back to haunt you. These are just a few of the things accident victims say that wind up costing them dearly:
“I apologize.”
“I didn’t see the other vehicle.”
“The accident might have been my fault.”
There’s a chance the other driver’s insurance company – or possibly even the other driver – will try to pressure you into accepting responsibility. They will insist you’re to blame, whether or not that’s actually the case. This is one of the many reasons you need to hire an attorney. At Sand Law, we shield our clients from this kind of harassment. Your attorney should talk to those people – not you.
When You Are at Fault vs. When You Aren’t
There are a lot of factors that go into determining blame for a vehicle accident. Things could have happened that you don’t even remember, or weren’t aware of in the first place. A manufacturer’s defect could have played a role, or the other driver could have been impaired due to the influence of drugs and alcohol. You just don’t know exactly what happened, or why it happened.
Just because you might have a guilty conscience, that’s no reason to admit fault – even if you actually were to blame. You have no legal responsibility to say you were to blame. It’s up to insurance adjusters and other professionals to determine the cause of the accident through an investigation.
But accepting blame when you’re not at fault is even worse – if you do, that investigation might not even take place. Critical information that could prove your case may never be uncovered as a result. Never make any assumptions regarding what happened. The fact is that you really don’t know the whole story.
Contact a North Dakota Car Accident Attorney
The best way to protect yourself is to hire an attorney. This will be even more important if you or another person suffered injuries in the accident. At Sand Law, our attorneys have years of experience working on these kinds of cases. We know exactly how to uncover the evidence needed to prove our clients deserve compensation for the suffering they’ve been forced to endure.
We also know how to protect the people we represent from insurance companies that will oftentimes take drastic measures to avoid paying claims. When you turn to us, we’ll speak to the insurance company on your behalf. We’ll also negotiate with insurers to help you get what you deserve.
We hope you realize just how important it is to never give even the slightest hint that you might think your accident was your fault. If you have any questions, or you would like to learn more about how Sand Law could help, please contact us online or give us a call at 701-609-1510.