Steps To Take After An Auto Accident
There is nothing that can prepare you for the shock of being involved in a car accident and particularly if this is somebody else’s fault. Unfortunately, the roads are a dangerous place and accidents occur frequently which can leave you without a vehicle and suffering from an injury. An auto accident is something that you will never forget, but it is important that you know how to react in order to safely and efficiently deal with the aftermath. It is difficult to know what to do in this scenario, so here is some advice for what to do if you are involved in an accident.
Stop The Car & Check For Injuries
Immediately in the aftermath of the injury, you must stop the car, switch off the engine and check yourself and others for injuries. Often the shock can numb the pain, so be sure to check yourself carefully and make sure that everyone else is ok.
Protect The Scene & Call The Police
Next, you should prevent further accidents where possible by putting your hazard lights on and then call the police. Even if there are no major injuries, it is worth calling the police as you may need a police report to file a claim. The vehicles involved should remain where they are unless interfering with traffic. It’s simple and costs nothing to discuss the details of your accident with our knowledgeable Jersey City lawyers at Davis, Saperstein & Salomon, P.C.
Record What Happened
Once the police arrive, carefully tell them what happened exactly as you remember it. Do not attempt to fill in any blanks and be completely honest. It is also a good idea to take photos of the crash site, the damage to your automobile and any injuries that you have sustained. At this stage you should call the Towing Calgary if you had been instructed by the local police force.
Exchange Details
Exchange contact details with everyone involved in the crash, including their name, address and telephone number. You should also ask to see the insurance card for every vehicle involved in the crash too.
Notify Insurer
Once this is complete, it is time to inform your insurer of the accident. It can be helpful to do this whilst still at the scene as they can tell you exactly what they need. You may need to get Asheville Car Accident Attorneys involved if the accident escalates to ensure you’re 100% covered in all possible eventualities. Choosing an attorney is a difficult process so take your time and make sure you choose the right one – it’s always recommended to research your attorney’s reviews beforehand as this is perhaps the best way to learn about them.
Medical Attention
Injuries do not always present themselves immediately after the accident, and it can even be a few days later, so it is worth getting checked over unless you are completely sure that you are fine. Even minor accidents can cause serious injuries, so it is better to be safe than sorry. If the accident was due to the negligence of the other driver, it is worth enlisting the services of a personal injury lawyer who can help you through this difficult and stressful period.
Being involved in an auto accident can be a traumatic experience and may leave you shaken. This can also make it difficult to know what to do and particularly if you have not been involved in one before. The above information should help you to safely deal with the aftermath whilst making sure that you and everybody else involved is alright, and gets the assistance that they need to make a full recovery.
5 Comments
Erika Messer
Thank you for this – I know a lot of people who really get upset if something like this happens and it can cause you to totally forget what is going on and you can be so high on adrenaline that you don’t realize you could be hurt.
Terri S.
This is very useful information for anyone who drives. I’ve never had an accident andf I would probably be so upset that I probably wouldn’t think straight about what to do. For instance, I never thought about taking photos of any damages to the vehicles involved in the accident. This step would be very helpful to my insurance company.
Jim Wood
Good info to try to remember during a high stress accident. That’s why I did a screen shot and will put it in my car.
Sue E
These are very good tips! I told my kids when they started driving to learn these steps! Especially the ones if someone gets hurt and the one about injuries showing up days later!! This actually happened to my youngest daughter! She was in the back seat and had her seat belt on, when they got hit!! My other daughter found out she was pregnant when they checked her out! But Sammy, the one in the back seat, a couple of days later, started complaining about her one shoulder that the seat belt was on. Well we thought that a bruise or something was going to show up, but it didn’t, so the next day, we took her to the doctor’s. He took a couple of X-Rays. Lo and behold, she had a slight fracture in her clavicle! They put a brace on her and she had to take it easy for the next couple of days, take her pain meds as needed. When she went back to school, no gym for a while. She had to have a doctor’s note first. It seems that the seat belt tightened up really hard on that shoulder when they got hit. The other side of her body got flung forward some, but the seat belt kept the rest of her from moving or going anywhere. This was almost 18 years ago already! It could have been a lot worse if she wasn’t wearing that belt. Nowadays people have cell phones with cameras. If I was able after an accident, I would be snapping some pictures of the damage for my insurance company. Be safe out there & ALWAYS watch out for the other guy!!
Calvin
Will be keeping this in mind, as planning makes it better while you mind is flustering an accident.