The Importance of Staying Quiet After a Truck Accident
When you are involved in any type of accident, it can be tempting to want to share your story. After all, you’ve been through a traumatic event and it can feel therapeutic to talk about what happened to help you process the events in your mind. While it is your story to tell, it is very important to be careful about how much you say and to whom you speak. After a truck accident, news organizations, concerned bystanders, and others may ask questions about what happened, but there are several reasons you should stay quiet and not share too many details.
Speaking to Police After an Accident
Of course, following a car or truck accident Orlando FL police are going to have plenty of questions to ask about what happened. You certainly should let them know the facts of the accident, but be careful not to admit fault or place blame. When your emotions are high after such a traumatic event, it can be easy to get carried away and speculate about what the other driver was doing or even to have unfounded guilt and blame yourself. Be factual and truthful about what you did and what you saw, then let law enforcement authorities do their job in investigating the incident.
Talking to Insurance Companies
You will need to reach out to your own insurance company to report the accident, but as you did with the police, simply be factual and truthful about the events. Remember, they have investigators for a reason. It is not up to you to make the determination of fault or what should be covered in your claim. With the insurance company of the other party, it is best to not speak with them directly but to refer them to your lawyer with any interview or statement requests to protect yourself.
Sharing With Friends and on Social Media
Finally, friends and family may be concerned and want to know what happened. Of course, you will want to let them know if you were injured or need help while you’re recovering, but be very wary of talking extensively about injuries or damages, especially on social media. While most people will have your best interests at heart, you can’t always control your audience and if you say too much, your words may come back to haunt you later.
You want to have the best outcome, physically, legally, and financially following an accident. When you take care with the details you share and are mindful of where you present those details, you decrease the chance that you will damage any case that you may have or that you will reduce any compensation you are entitled to receive. Stick to the facts, never admit fault or make accusations, and let investigators and attorneys do their jobs.
