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Never take the other driver’s money after an accident

On Behalf of | Mar 20, 2018 | blog |

Most residents of Oregon will have to deal with a car accident at one point or another. The state’s Department of Transportation reports that in 2015 alone, over 55,000 car crashes occurred, resulting in over 41,000 injuries.

After an auto accident, you should always contact the police, see a doctor and inform your auto insurance provider of the situation. One thing you definitely do not want to do is take cash offered by the other driver. Some drivers resort to offering cash because they do not want any more points on their driving record. It is also possible the person does not have any insurance. You never want to take money at the scene because you do not yet know the extent of your injuries and the damage to your car.

Your injuries

You need to take any injuries you sustain after an auto collision seriously. Even if you only have a small crick in your neck, it could be a symptom of a much larger problem a doctor needs to treat. You will not know what injuries you have, if any, until you see a doctor, and you want to play it safe and have your insurance pay for any medical costs. Your medical bills can quickly add up to thousands of dollars, and once you get the cash, there may be no way to get in touch with the driver to get more.

Your vehicle’s damage

Many accidents are not too severe. On the surface, it may appear as though you only sustained a minor fender bender. Repairing a small dent does not cost much, but you do not know if other components sustained damage you cannot see. For example, if the other car hits your vehicle a certain way, it could seriously compromise the integrity of your car’s suspension system. A damaged suspension can cost hundreds if not thousands of dollars to repair.

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