Your Advocate In Serious Injury Claims

The danger of taking cash after an auto accident

Following a car crash, you may have to deal with a driver who wants to simply give you cash at the scene to not get insurance companies or the police involved. Some people may try to do this because they drove without any auto insurance or because they have too many points on their driving records.

Even if the other driver was clearly at fault, you always want to go through the proper channels to deal with a car accident. No matter how much the other person pleads and begs, you need to think about your own well-being. Seeing cold hard cash at the scene is a tempting offer, but you could have sustained more serious injuries than you realize.

Cash may not cover medical expenses

You may feel alright immediately following a crash, but you could have hidden symptoms that will not appear until days later. It can be a good idea to see a doctor right after a crash. Even if the accident occurred at a relatively low speed, whiplash can still injure bones and tissue. A minor crash that resulted in minimal damage to your vehicle may have serious consequences for your personal health.

Medical expenses add up quickly, and the cash the other driver gave you may not cover everything. For example, in Louisiana, the average cost for an MRI is $807. An MRI will be essential to determine if you sustained a traumatic brain injury. Your insurance may not cover the cost of an MRI, or it may only cover part of the price. This does not even get into all the other tests and treatments you may need.

It could be a scam

You also never know if the other driver has an ulterior motive for giving you cash. Perhaps the other driver recognizes he is at fault and wants you to leave the scene before contacting the police himself. For example, he or she may try to say things like that it was a hit-and-run, which could potentially leave you accountable for something that was not your fault.