In most states, it is a crime to fail to file a police report following a car accident, even if it is only a minor collision. It becomes a citation-able offense when you get in your car and drive away. It makes no difference if you don’t believe you were hurt or if the vehicles were not damaged. Even if it’s simply a minor vehicle accident, it’s still an accident. It’s also far more challenging to get the facts straight once you leave the site of an automobile collision. Even a minor vehicle accident might become complicated. So, whether you want to engage a Philadelphia car accident lawyer after a minor vehicle accident or not, this is your choice. Before leaving the scene, you should consider calling the cops.
You may have just wrecked any prospective claim you had against the other motorist, aside from the legalities of the situation, even if your vehicle is undamaged. Here’s the issue:
Hidden Injuries
According to studies, a person might experience a variety of injuries in minor automobile accidents that don’t manifest themselves for days after the incident. You’re smacked from behind but only slightly startled, and you’re fine. You don’t appear to be harmed, and you’d know if you were, wouldn’t you?
Not all of the time. Broken bones, lacerations, and even brain trauma are common “injuries.” Our thoughts turn to life-threatening situations. Strained tendons, strained ligaments, and contusions aren’t generally considered, but they should be.
You may wake up with significant back pain tomorrow or the next day if your body shifted forward, your neck jerked back, or you moved forward suddenly. The rush of adrenaline that follows an accident can conceal an injury. Most personal injury lawyers in Fort Lauderdale will advise you to contact a doctor as soon as possible to rule out any concealed injuries.
Even if you have a medical professional on your side, you will have a tough time getting your injury to court if you drive away from the site and fail to submit a complaint with either the police or your insurance (or both).
The Third Party
What if you exchanged information with the other motorist, shook hands, and continued on your way without informing the authorities about the minor vehicle accident?
You’re summoned to court a few weeks later because the “other” guy has filed his lawsuit against you. You know they were at fault, and you know the injuries and property damage they claim you inflicted are exaggerated, if not entirely fake. Remember when you decided to leave without filing a report? You’ve now firmly entrenched yourself in a “you say, they say” scenario. “Do not admit wrongdoing or betray policy restrictions,” says another fantastic piece of advice. Be cautious of what you say and do!
