Consumer Warning: Beware Of Car Accident Scammers

Car accidents are an unfortunate reality of modern living and are something that we hope to never have to experience. The reality is that many of us will be involved in an accident in some way at some point in our life. What do you do if the person who hit you doesnt want to give you their insurance information and offers you a few hundred bucks right there?

Imagine that you were sitting at a red light, minding your own business and then out of nowhere someone rear ends you. Your neck jerks forward and you dont feel any pain immediately because your adrenaline is pumping, your heart is racing and you are in shock. You get out of the car and check the damage and determine that it isnt that bad. At the same time, a man approaches you appearing very sympathetic and he is sincerely apologizing for this accident. The person that hit you seems like a nice guy and he wins you over. He explains that his spouse absolutely cannot find out about this accident because they would be furious. Also, he doesnt want to report the minor accident to his insurance company because then his rates would go up and he would be in a lot of trouble. So, you buy into their story, dont notice any significant damage to the car, are not feeling any serious pain and accept their couple hundred dollars payment offer on the spot. Because you accepted the money, you felt exchanging information wasnt necessary and the driver who hit you apologizes one more time and leaves the scene, never to be heard from again.

After the accident, as you are arriving at your destination and your adrenaline is wearing off, you start to second guess the decisions that you just made. Was it foolish to accept the offer? 30 minutes later you are experiencing shooting pain in your neck that just wont go away. When you wake up the next morning to take your car into the shop, not only is your neck still in pain from the whiplash but you find out that the minor fender bender will cost $2000 to repair. You pray that you do not have some sort of back or spinal cord injury. Now, your worries are confirmed that you made a terrible mistake letting the accident causing driver off the hook.

It is impossible to know full nature and extent of injuries you may have suffered in a car accident right after it happens. Sometimes symptoms take hours or days to appear. It is crucial to always, ALWAYS get the other drivers information to protect yourself. You should never feel guilty about not accepting an offer from the persona that hit you. The damage to your car and the neck injury can be bad enough. You do not want to make it worse by having no remedy against the person that caused your injuries and property damage because you let them leave without getting their information.

If you are ever involved in an automobile accident, gather as much information as possible, report it to the police, and contact a car accident attorney.