With the increase in motorists, the risk of being involved in a car accident has risen. The more roads get tarred, the more front-page headlines relate to car accidents. And the question, what to do after you get in a car accident comes to mind. Safety precautions don’t completely protect us. Sometimes the other party in the car accident is to blame, maybe they are speeding and they crash into your car. Or, it is your fault! None of those questions will matter at the moment. The most important question is what to do after you get in a car accident? Or How to handle yourself in that situation?
This article keeps coming up with more answers to this complex question so that you don’t learn a little too late when you find yourself in a car accident.
We risk our lives every day leaving our homes to attend to issues and life. Maybe one of your close relatives is sick in the hospital, maybe your cat has an appointment with the veterinarian, maybe you have an office job upstate. In any event, knowing what to do after you get in a car accident can get you prepared. The emotional and financial trauma that comes after is unspeakable. Car accidents can be fatal? With more than 30,000 deaths and over two million injuries every year according to the National Highway traffic safety administration, car accidents claim more lives in one simple heartbeat than cancer.
Driving is one of the dangerous things you can do and it is your best to drive responsibly and defensively. In case you end up in a car accident, there are few things you can do to protect yourself. Well, here are 5 tips of what to do after you get in a car accident.
Stop and Stay Calm
In the event that you are involved in a car accident the next steps you take are crucial to both parties involved. The law obligates you to stop and switch off your engine at the scene of the accident. Fleeing the spot is illegal. The law also requires you to turn on your hazard lights to inform the rest of the motorists of your current situation, this avoids the occurrence of further catastrophe. In addition, stay in your car for a minute if it’s safe to do. Take a moment to figure out a more logical and safe action. It is important to remain collected and check if you and others are hurt. Accidents can cause an adrenaline rush which can make you feel no pain. This is misleading as you may not realize how bad your injuries are. Take deep breathing exercises, breathe with your nose and mouth, this will help your muscles relax and your mind to think rationally. Breathe, breathe!
Once you are aware of the scene, and you are now calm you may step out of your vehicle, again if it’s safe to do so.
Make your way to the other driver’s vehicle to check if they are not injured. Don’t be hostile and angry but also help them remain calm.
Now that you have a picture of how to keep yourself calm, which is the first important job when you find yourself in an accident. Although it may be a difficult experience, try your best to remain cool-headed.
Get Help
In the heat of the moment, you can be oblivious to the presence of injury. It’s important to be aware of or know what to do after you get in a car accident. When you exit the car make sure the other driver or involved parties are safe. Check for injuries. If an impending explosion is evident from the collision of the two cars, be sure to vacate the area and notify people in the vicinity of the car accident spot.
Depending on the gravity of the accident, injury can be expected. If the accident has occurred at night, strive to inform other road users as best as you can. Get help instance, putting up reflective triangles or keeping the hazard lights alerting fellow road users, both motorists and pedestrians.
Whether it is a case of whiplash or a more fatal case, it is important to know what to do after you get in a car accident. Call 911 or an ambulance if the scenario demands immediate attention. Try to keep the victim awake and comfortable while you wait for medical assistance. If you are trained to administer first aid, try to resuscitate them. If you have been checked and there is a sign of injury, inform your personal injury lawyer, depending on what damage was done. In some instances, you may even need to contact a back injury attorney.
In any event, it is advisable to get some therapy after the accident which your personal injury attorney can provide.
Accidents can be traumatizing, and caring for them psychologically is very beneficial. Seeking therapy should be done once you are in a more comfortable mindset. Updating your attorney, family, friends, and work colleagues also benefits you, in case you sustain serious injury to the extent of having to miss work, family commitments, and planned fun gatherings. Your respective contacts will stage the appropriate action if needed and accommodate your situation. Perhaps you could be given some time off from work to fully attend to the sustained injury, without worrying about the incoming payday. Aim to do your best to help anyone else involved in the accident.
Collect Information
Once you have confirmed your own state, it is important for you and the other driver to discuss the accident and exchange information pertaining to the accident. Insurance information is an immediate example especially if the cars suffered any kind of casualty. Exchange phone numbers, addresses, and car registration numbers. Be sure to exchange car models and maker information.
Do not confirm any responsibility for the accident unless you are certain it is your fault, for legal reasons. Even if you may think you are at fault, wait to discuss the accident with your insurance attorney. In some cases, your opinion may have been concluded based on poor judgment, and admitting guilt may affect the irreversible final verdict. It may not be wise to directly communicate with the other driver as emotions may get the better of you. However, it does save a lot of time and in the event of a light car accident, issues can be resolved quickly if both drivers are cooperative and composed. Sometimes, it is not necessary to call the police.
Exercise honesty, and avoid disputes since car accidents already evoke stressful and tense air.
Be sure to call your car accident lawyer or insurance provider before leaving the spot. They assist you with further information that they will need in order to process the unfortunate incident.
To avoid any future trouble with the other driver, take pictures and videos of the scene. Self-analyse the scene of the accident. Take account of where damage was done and conclude the accident on your account.
If there was a witness or witnesses, capture their statement. Try and document the time of day of the accident, take account of the weather, any physical obstacles that were present during the accident. In addition, make a note of how the rest of the traffic was before the accident occurred.
Calm down and do not aggravate the other driver. Do your best to make sure you are in agreement before leaving the site of the car accident. Be compliant with the other driver.
Be honest and take responsibility for your part in the accident, if you have any responsibility. In any case, try to be patient with the other party involved as everyone is probably still taking in the fact that a car accident has just happened.
The insurance company and the police will work together to conclude who was the offender. Make sure to take down the name of the officer in charge of your report.
Check Your Car
Although you and others involved in the car accident can come out of the smoke unharmed, the car may not be as lucky. How do you handle that? What do you do after you get in a car accident like that? Most importantly, exit the car and assess the situation. Call the police and If It is safe to do so try not to move the car until the police arrive and instruct you to do so. Make note of where the damage has been done. Be sure to make a note of car model specifications for all vehicles involved. If the car has been seriously damaged, call for a towing service to remove the car and take it to an auto body collision car repair.
Make a sound decision on whether or not to claim the insurance offered on the car insurance in order to replace the vehicle. Or, make a claim independent of your insurer’s terms and conditions. If your accident happens while driving a company vehicle you may call a workers comp attorney to assist in your claim.
Nonetheless, these affairs can be attended to after being checked medically. It is rather wise to make well-thought-out decisions. It is important to take all the details required by your insurance company, as mentioned before. You need to as well collect the other party’s insurance information.
Granted, even after the police have cleared you, sometimes the controversy of the event can haunt you even months after it has occurred. It is important to consider what to do after you get in a car accident and the most crucial thing is to keep and safeguard all records of the accident. The records could translate to the other driver’s phone number, address, car registration number, the police clearance report, your attorney’s statement, among others. Keeping this information is essential in case follow-up legal issues pop up.
Assist With First Aid and Protect the Scene
In the event of a grave accident, there will be more serious casualties. As unfortunate as this outcome can be, it is important to take care of the situation. Here is what to do after you get in a car accident.
In this event, do call 911 and in the meantime take any first aid you may know to deal with the casualties.
Lives may be lost. If this regrettably happens at the car accident scene, cover the body and move it away from the road. Try to protect the casualty as best as you can. Be sure to contact the victim’s family and inform them of what would have transpired. Allow those affected to grieve and be stoical. Respect how the culture of everyone around speaks of the treatment of a corpse. In the case that you are related to the deceased, contact their life insurance company and get more intel on their life insurance policy provided for the deceased. Be sure to wait to be cleared by the police before leaving the site. Do not leave the site without being exempted as this may oppose legal regulations. Be sure to provide all the information required by the police and have your auto accident attorney ready to assist.
Moreover, always keep prevention in mind. Be a responsible driver. How can you be a responsible driver? Don’t over speed. Be sure to follow all the road rules.
Be conscious of the motorists and pedestrians around you. It’s always better to be prepared and know what to do after you get in a car accident. Simple safety precautions, like wearing a seatbelt at all times can be lifesaving, in addition to moving at the regulated speed.
We do not know road life, but with this guide, you will know what to do after you get in a car accident.
