What To Tell The Police About Any Car Accident
There are many rumors about what you should say to the police when you are involved in a car accident. Police involvement is usually inevitable, no matter how severe the incident is. The way you behave at the scene of an accident will have little impact on your car insurance quote.
Your Legal Obligations
You are not legally bound to tell the police anything without a lawyer present. If you feel at all uncomfortable about the way the accident happened, or you worry that there could be an escalation of legal issues due to other circumstances, you have the right to refuse to cooperate with the police investigation on the scene. The truth is, however, that you will be viewed as less suspicious if you agree to tell your side of the story to the police.
Stick to the Facts
When you explain what happened, do not get overly emotional and embellish the story in any way. Simply state the facts as you remember them in an orderly fashion. The police are there to determine exactly what happened and it is important that you provide them with as much factual information as possible. The report that they write will be used by both insurance companies to determine who is at fault and who should be reimbursed. The best thing you can do to make sure you get an accurate car insurance quote is to explain events in a straightforward manner.
Be Objective
Police involvement can make you nervous, which can cause you to say things that you might regret later. While you are talking to the police, you need to be sure that you do not say anything relating to guilt. Do not apologize for anything or blame the other driver for anything. It is important to allow the police to put the sequence of events together without giving them any impression that you feel like you were at fault for anything. Be as objective as possible about the accident while you are working with the police on the scene. The insurance company will determine who is at fault based on the facts. There is no reason to color those facts with unnecessary apologies or blame.
Answer Questions You Feel Comfortable Answering
Even if you agree to cooperate fully with the police while they begin their accident investigation, you can decline to answer any questions that you feel are incriminating toward you. Try to cooperate as much as possible, but feel free to decline to answer a question if you believe the question is inappropriate or you worry the answer would cause more problems for you. Accident investigations should only deal with the specific events of the accident.
