When you’re caught in a car accident, it can be terrifying to decide what the next steps are. You’ll be stunned, possibly hurt, and your adrenaline will be pumping so hard you might not even feel the pain yet.
These are some of the most important things you should do following a car accident and why each of these steps matters.
Check Well-Being of Yourself and Passengers
You have to check yourself for injuries before thinking about anyone else. Although this might feel selfish and wrong, you can’t help anyone else unless you help yourself first. Please pay attention to your body, feel for any pain, check for blood or broken bones, and then move on to checking on whomever you’re with.
If another vehicle was involved, check to ensure that they’re safe or okay as well. You mustn’t perform any medical help that you haven’t been trained to complete: but you should help people if they need it and try to stop any bleeding by pressing cloth firmly against the wound if it’s smaller.
Get to Safety and Call 911
Try to get everyone away from the road and the accident if possible, and call 911 as soon as possible. This will ensure that someone can be on their way to help and take the strain off of you. Be aware that anything you say could be held against you or the other person if you seek a personal injury lawyer, so avoid allowing yourself to make mistakes like this.
Document the Accident Thoroughly
Take as many pictures of the accident as possible. Include images of their license plate and of the impact and injuries. Although this may feel weird to jump into, it’ll be your best protection for insurance and will give you the chance to get you on the right track towards getting out of all of this strain.
Exchange Information
Information exchanging is vital to be able to contact each others’ insurance. This will give you the chance to contact them later with any updates or move forward with suing their insurance if it refuses to pay for whatever happened if it was their fault.
Avoid admitting guilt if it was your fault, but don’t start a fight at the accident site. It’s up to insurance to settle all of this, or possibly a lawsuit to settle it, but don’t cause an altercation at the site of the accident.
Notify Insurance
Talk to their insurance, and your own, about what happened. They’ll want information on whatever medical help you sought out and will want updates from you about any injuries, and what money has to go into your vehicle and their vehicle to fix them.
This can feel overwhelming, but take it a day at a time. If they offer you far less than you need to get over the accident: now’s the time to take them to court and seek out a personal injury lawyer.
Car Accidents are a Lot to Take On
Although it’s a terrifying ordeal to go through: you deserve to be able to get to the other side of this without having suffered major losses. So be smart in how you react, ensure people are cared for and safe, and don’t accept less than you deserve.
