Car Crash Aftermath: Tips to Follow

One of the most traumatizing and tragic things that could happen to anyone is being involved in a car crash. It is disorientating and it can be extremely difficult to think logically at the time of the event; even though there are circumstances or instances that may require quick thinking and fast decision making. 

This is why it’s important that you know what to do in case you get involved in a car crash, and here we’re providing you with a couple of tips to follow. 

SEE HOW INJURED YOU OR THE PASSENGERS ARE

The first thing you need to do in case you’ve been involved in a car accident is that you need to assess the condition of everyone in the car. See if you can move and check on any other passengers that may have been with you. If you can confirm that they can at the very least move, then get them out of the car as soon as possible, because you don’t know what the condition of the vehicle is and if there’s any risk of a fire, for instance. That’s why it’s safest to get everyone out as soon as possible. Do the same with the people in the other vehicle or vehicles to ensure that everyone is safe, at least until help arrives. You want to make sure that you stay calm and help as much as you can to keep everyone else calm because panicking will not solve anything at all. If you find that anyone is seriously injured, then don’t move them at all, and be sure to try to stop any bleeding by putting pressure on the area, and try your best to keep them calm until help arrives.

CONTACT THE POLICE

After you’ve checked on everyone, you need to call the cops. They will be the ones to contact the ambulance as well so you won’t have to make more than one phone call in regards to getting help as soon as possible. It’s important that the ambulance reaches you and any other people involved in the accident immediately in case there is serious injuries, so that they can have medical attention as soon as possible. It is just as important that the authorities are there so that they can make a record of what has taken place, so that once the injuries have been tended to, the issue of who is responsible and how to move forward can be confronted.

CONTACT YOUR LAWYER

After making the call to the cops and ensuring that the ambulance is on the way, you want to contact your lawyer immediately and inform them of the details of your car crash, so that they can tell you what to do. There are lawyers that actually specialize in car crashes, and it certainly doesn’t hurt to have one of those on call. They will be able to guide you on what it is you need to do in terms of retaining evidence, what to say, and also what not to say. You are probably going to be in shock at that moment, so it’s important to have your lawyer guide you on what the law is so that no one tricks you into anything in that moment.

COLLECT AS MUCH INFORMATION & EVIDENCE AS POSSIBLE

What your lawyer will probably advise you to do is collect evidence, so this is something that you will want to do immediately. It may seem heartless at first, especially to onlookers, but this is an extremely crucial step you need to take to ensure that the case is fair later on. Take pictures of the car from the inside and from the outside as well, and of any other vehicles that were involved in the incident. If there are any parts of the car that fell off, take pictures of that as well. Take pictures of your injuries and of any of the passengers that were with you, and most importantly, make sure that there is a time stamp because that will be crucial when using the pictures for evidence. Aside from photographic evidence, try to get as much information as you possibly can down about any of the other vehicles involved and their passengers as well. You will want to also note the weather condition because that may or may not have a role to play- for example, if it had been snowing or raining, or if the sunlight was directly hitting your eyes, this will play a role in where you stand in the accident and what or who was to blame. Make sure that, if you can help it and it doesn’t put oncoming cars at risk, you don’t move the car. This will be important for when the cops make the police report and take down information about what happened. If the car needs to be moved, then make sure you take a picture of where it was originally. 

CALL YOUR INSURANCE COMPANY

After you’ve left the scene of the accident and you finally get home, don’t forget to get in touch with your insurance company. This is important because in order to file a claim, they need to know about the accident as soon as possible, and they need to know as many details as possible so that you’re able to get something out of it. There are different details that go into insurance, and this is why the evidence plays a huge role in being able to file for a claim.

The state of shock that you will be in after being in a car accident will probably leave you unable to register properly and make the right decisions, this is why it’s so important for you to read the points mentioned above carefully so that you can have it at the back of your head. It’s certainly always better to be safe than sorry, and in these kinds of events, you really do have to be prepared to ensure your safety and that everything is fairly executed.