4 Things You Must Not Do After a Car Accident

More than 6 million car crashes occurred in the United States in 2021, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. This included fatal accidents, accidents resulting in injuries, and accidents reported to the police that caused property damage.

If you are involved in a car accident, there are a few key things you must make sure you avoid doing. These mistakes could cause serious financial and personal harm, affecting your checking account balance and other aspects of your life.

1. Leave the scene of a crash

State laws generally require drivers to stop at the scene of an accident under most circumstances, including when someone may have been hurt or killed, as well as when property damage occurred.

Failure to stop at an accident scene can result in criminal charges for hit and run. These charges are very serious. Depending on the circumstances and the state laws, a hit-and-run crime could be a felony or a misdemeanor, and could lead to penalties including jail time, fines, a suspended license, and more.

Do not take a chance of facing charges. Always stop at the crash scene, exchange contact details, get contact information from witnesses, and report the collision to the police if required to do so based on the accident's severity.

2. Admit fault right away

In car accident claims, there is a specific legal definition of fault. A person who is at fault for a collision was the direct, proximate cause of the accident. And if that person was negligent, or unreasonably careless based on what a hypothetical reasonable person would have done, the negligent driver's insurer may be responsible for paying for damages for crash victims.

The legal definition of fault does not always match the layman's definition of fault. But, if a driver does admit they were to blame for the accident, this could come back to bite them if their admission is viewed as evidence of liability.

Drivers should not just automatically take the blame for a collision with the police or their insurer due to the legal consequences this could have. When stopping at a crash scene, be helpful, render aid, and answer questions honestly -- but avoid saying anything that could suggest an admission of fault during this chaotic time.

3. Fail to report the accident to your insurer

Not reporting an accident to an auto insurer is something else that drivers should be sure not to do after an accident.

Keeping quiet about a crash may seem tempting if the accident appears minor. If another driver was to blame and they offer to pay out of pocket, it may seem like it makes even more sense to just keep insurers out of things.

This is a really bad idea, though. There may be more severe injuries or more severe damage to the vehicle than anyone realizes at the crash scene. And the other driver who admitted guilt may not be able to pay for all losses in the end.

Insurance, including underinsured or uninsured motorist coverage, could be needed to pick up the tab -- but might be unavailable if the accident wasn't reported. The other driver could end up spinning a different version of events later too, and thus not providing the promised compensation and even pursuing a claim to try to recover their own damages.

Always report a crash to an insurer to ensure that the protections the policy offers are in place.

4. Downplay the severity of any injuries

Finally, it's a bad idea to downplay the severity of injuries. Crash victims can often obtain compensation for losses when someone else is to blame, and that compensation is based on the extent of damage. Trying to be stoic or downplay losses so the at-fault driver doesn't feel guilty could end up meaning too little compensation is available.

Doing any of these four things after a car accident is bad news, so drivers should make absolutely sure they don't make these mistakes or it could come back to haunt them.