At some point or another, you will find yourself in a situation that is difficult to explain. Injuries are a part of life and can come at anytime and anyplace. How or why an injury occurred can often seem embarrassing, so one may instinctively lie about the circumstances surrounding the wound. Saving yourself some embarrassment may seem like a good idea at the time, but here are some reasons why it may just be in your best interest, to tell the truth to first responders.
You’re a Terrible Liar
Let’s face it; most people are terrible liars. How many times have you tried to get away with something only to have it bite you in the tail moments later when you get called out on your made-up tale? 99% of the time you will get caught, so why not just make things more manageable from the start and avoid the awkward process of backtracking your lie and attempting to save any credibility you have down the line.
Lawyers Are Smarter Than You
There is a reason lawyers are driving around in Bentley’s while you are laying on the floor with a nail in your leg because of you thought old shed the backyard would make a perfect place for your professional wrestling training. Based on your injury, there is a chance you will need to file a slightly high insurance claim to cover costs, or you may even have a case to sue for damages based on your specific circumstance. If a lawyer finds out you lied at any time about the events of your injury, you can kiss that sweet settlement good-bye. Attorneys will ask a lot of questions too so that they will find out every last detail regarding that injury.
First Responders Don’t Care
Those who handle these kind of incidents have seen it all. There is nothing that will surprise them, so you might as well be upfront with them so they can give you the best medical treatment available. A little embarrassment up-front could save you a lot of hassle down the line.
It Will Make a Great Story
If you lie to one person about an injury, that means you have to keep lying to stay consistent. This is fine now, but a year or two down the line when realizing how hilarious that injury was, you will have no one to share the story. And if you do come clean in an attempt to salvage the story, you will then have to deal with those questioning why you lied for years about something so insignificant.
Kids Are Dumb, Help Them Any Way You Can
The last thing anyone wants to do is embarrass them-self in front of their kid. However, everyone with kids knows that they will do many stupid things over the course of their childhood. By exposing them to your stupidity after you injure yourself, there is a better chance they won’t repeat your mistake. You are saving your kid from both future injury and teaching them how to tell the truth; it’s a win-win for all parties.
Embarrassing injuries are bound to happen. When they do, it seems so easy to just create a story and pass it off as truth. Resist that urge. Embrace the incident and learn from it and I promise you it’ll play out for the best. At worse, you have a great story for your next trip to the bar for why you are icing your leg and are rocking a full sling.