Every year in the United States, roughly six million car accidents take place, ranging from the most minor single-car incidents to crowded interstate pile-ups involving dozens of vehicles. 

Averaging these six million crashes out across the 365 days per year, roughly 16,500 take place every day throughout the 50 states. Whether someone is a safe driver or not, they need to know what steps they should take in the event they get involved in a motor vehicle accident.

No Matter What, Don’t Flee the Scene!

Assume Bob is sitting in his vehicle, which is parked in a parking lot, and he is hit by another vehicle. It’s clear that the accident is not Bob’s fault. Even if Bob is in a hurry to go somewhere, is uninterested in seeking out compensation for the damages he suffered, or he simply would rather go grocery shopping, Bob is legally required to stay put.

Here’s What Nobody Should Ever Do

Let’s say that the other driver in Bob’s accident, the at-fault driver, is named Lenny. Lenny knows just as well as Bob that the crash is entirely his fault. 

Either way, whether it was Bob’s fault, Lenny’s fault, or both of their faults, Lenny shouldn’t claim to be responsible for the accident. For all he knows, the officer who arrives at the accident’s scene might rule Bob at fault for the accident, split fault among the two drivers, or not even file an accident report.

Lenny should also never say “I’m sorry” in such a situation, no matter whether he is 100 percent certain that he caused the crash or not. Apologizing to the one or more drivers who were involved in an accident is almost a surefire way of being blamed for the accident by the law enforcement officer.

Gather All Information

Drivers need to find out everything they possibly can about other drivers who were involved in the same accident that they’re a part of. Ask for all other drivers’ driver’s licenses and document them. Also, document everything about their vehicles, especially what damage was expected to have resulted from the crash. It’s also important to note where the accident took place.