In the heat of the moment, you might be tempted to discuss the cause of the accident with the other driver or an eyewitness. Never admit being at fault.
The states on the East Coast have the highest numbers of traffic accidents in the United States. New Hampshire ranks 5th on the list of states with the greatest number of traffic accidents, compared to the total population of the state. Almost a third of all crashes in New Hampshire take place at rush hour, when tens of thousands of drivers head to work or back home. Many of them never make it to their destination and end up in hospital instead. If you or someone you love were recently involved in a traffic accident, it may be wise to talk to a skilled New Hampshire accident lawyer before you proceed with a personal injury claim.
What to say and what not to say after an accident
Everything you say can and will be used against you. You must have heard this phrase many times in the movies, but it also applies to you in the aftermath of an accident. An accident will probably leave you in a state of shock and confusion, but you need to watch your mouth. In the heat of the moment, you might be tempted to discuss the cause of the accident with the other driver or an eyewitness. Never admit being at fault in any way, not even if deep down you know that maybe you weren’t paying attention to the road. Any admission of guilt can be used to minimize the value of your claims.
Make sure to seek counsel from an experienced accident lawyer in Manchester, NH, before you talk to an insurance adjuster. If they happen to call you before you’ve had a chance to sit down with a lawyer and discuss your case, don’t give them anything other than the date of the accident and where it happened.
Can I still get damages if I was partly to blame for the accident?
New Hampshire uses the modified comparative fault rule and this means that you can recover damages even if you were partly to blame for the accident. For instance, if you were speeding at the time of the crash, but the accident itself was caused by the other driver skipping a red light or making a U-turn, you can still get damages.
The insurance adjuster will determine how much weight your own mistakes bear and will assign a percentage of blame. For instance, if your damages are calculated at $100,000 but it is determined that you were 20% to blame for what happened, you will only get $80,000 in damages.
Do not go into this sort of negotiation without a seasoned lawyer by your side. The insurance company will try to pin the blame on you to reduce the damages you deserve. Or, if they say that you were more than 50% to blame, you don’t get any damages.
If the negotiations with the insurance company fail, you might have to file a lawsuit to recover the damages you deserve.
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