Involved In A Car Accident That WAS Your Fault? Don’t Panic!
It’s easy to assume that a car accident is always going to be someone else’s fault. But what if it’s not? What if one day you crash and it is without a doubt, due to actions you took. Perhaps you were speeding, arguing or driving after one drink. It doesn’t matter because now you’re in a nightmare situation. Other people could have been injured because of something you did. What should you do?
Don’t Panic!
After you realize you caused the accident, it’s important you don’t panic. You shouldn’t start thinking about going to prison, or getting fined or how this will affect your life. Take a few deep breaths and try to remain calm. You could have been injured in the accident, or there might be other people in the car who are injured. This needs to be your priority. You can think about legal implications once everyone has the medical care they require. If no one needs medical care, you still need to think about getting everyone safely home. Panicking is just going to make the situation ten times worse.
Don’t Admit Guilt
If you’re a good person, your first thought is going to be telling someone it was your fault. There are a few reasons why this is a bad idea. First, there might be mitigating circumstances that you’re not aware of. For instance, you might be concerned you had one glass of wine before you went out that night. What you don’t know if there was slippery liquid on the road that caused the crash. This makes your glass of wine completely inconsequential. Or perhaps your reaction times were slowed. But something on the road also caused a tire to burst. If that’s the case, the accident wasn’t preventable. Until you know all the facts, you shouldn’t even consider admitting you were to blame. For all you know, you weren’t.
Be Proactive
The chances of you being charged at the scene of the accident are slim. People are more concerned with making sure everyone is safe and looked after, as they should be. That doesn’t mean you can’t get ahead of the situation, though. For instance, if you were drinking you should find your DWI lawyer. They can help you, even if you were found to have drunk lower than the legal limit. It could still be used against you if the case goes to court and you want to be prepared.
Look At The Scene Yourself
After the accident, you need to look at where it happened. Make sure to note anything that could have caused the accident that wasn’t related to your actions. This might be a pothole in the road that meant your car didn’t have as much grip it should have. Or, that there wasn’t clear signage for a hazard. Anything like this could put you in the clear even if the accident may have been related to your actions.
Finally, remember that the fact you caused an accident doesn’t make you a bad person. Don’t villainies yourself because we all make mistakes. What’s important is that you learn from them and drive more safely in future.
