No one wants to have a crash. Even if no one is harmed, they can be expensive and inconvenient for all involved. Hence, if you accidentally bump someone or collide with them your instinct may be to say sorry the moment you step out of your car.
As polite as apologizing is, saying sorry is a terrible idea. Here is why:
Others could see it as an admission of guilt
People typically say sorry for something. While there are people who apologize out of habit, fear or a lack of self-confidence, most people only say sorry when they have done something wrong. So, if you apologize for having a crash, others may take that as you apologizing for causing the crash.
They don’t have to believe you
Even if someone knows you did not cause the crash, they may jump on your apology as a way to pin the blame on you. This could be the other driver or their insurance company. They might happily take your politeness and turn it against you to try and deny your compensation claims.
Remember, you could be wrong, too. You might feel you caused the crash but with further investigation, it turns out the other party was at fault in ways you had not realized.
Don’t be rude, but don’t say sorry
Avoid getting drawn into a discussion with the other driver or anyone else about how the crash happened and hang up if the other party’s insurer tries to call you at any point. In the immediate aftermath of a collision ring the police, check if anyone is injured, and exchange details with the other driver.
Save your explanation of what you think happened for your legal team. They can take that information and work out how best to use it. The post Is it OK to say sorry after a crash? first appeared on Martinez & Schill LLP.
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