A car accident can be horrific, and it can cause untold devastation. Car accidents can have an impact on every single aspect of your life and affect many different people. Knowing what to do in the event of a car accident is paramount should you want to escape unscathed and should you want to receive the compensation that you may be due. This page will tell you exactly what to do in six easy steps should you find yourself the victim of a car accident. If you act appropriately, you can minimize financial and physical damage.
If you act slowly or inappropriately, you risk exacerbating the injury and the financial impact. Here are six things that you should do when you get into a car accident.
Stay Calm
The first thing that you absolutely must do in the event of a car accident is to stay calm. It can be very easy to freak out and begin behaving inappropriately, but you mustn’t, and rather, you must stay calm. Staying calm means taking a deep breath, assessing the situation as it unfolds around you, and behaving responsibly. This does not mean, however, that you should act slowly, rather acting quick in the event of a car accident is essential. You must first establish whether or not the car that you are sitting in is smoking or aflame, as if your vehicle is either of those things, you must vacate your vehicle immediately and without thought.
Ring an Ambulance
Even if you do not appear physically injured or another party involved does not, an ambulance is always crucial. Unfortunately, some injuries that occur as a result of a car accident can be internal, and no physical injury will appear, at least for a few days. Internal injuries are very common, owing to the high impact and pressure of most car accidents. One such injury, whiplash, has no physical symptoms immediately, and rather, begins to hurt you twenty-four hours or so later. You should ring an ambulance immediately, despite any obvious signs of injury.
Ring the Police
The police should be your next point of call. In a car accident, there is a good chance the accident may have been caused by a drunk driver. Drunk drivers are a scourge that plagues our roadways and causes a huge number of accidents every single year. If you do not ring the police immediately, the drunk driver can potentially get away with his crime and will not be caught. By ringing the police, the driver will be breathalyzed (as will you), and if they have been drinking, will be arrested, and prosecuted.
Ring an Attorney
You should ring an attorney the next day (providing you were the victim of the accident). According to one Medford car accident lawyer, the aftermath of a car accident is not simply injuries and financial loss, but a lot of paperwork. It is best left to the professionals, and highly recommended you seek out legal counsel. An attorney, in the event of a car accident, will be able to determine who was at fault and who was at not and decide whether or not it would be worthwhile pursuing legal action against the offending party. An attorney will pursue compensation for you and aid you in recouping the finances that you lost as a result of the car accident. The matter may go to civil court, in which case, your attorney will attempt to get you awarded a huge sum of money. Some have been awarded up to a million dollars in the case of a car accident that was not their fault.
A Doctor
The next day, even if you seemed fine at the scene, it is always good to go and see a doctor. The implications of a car accident can not only affect your physical health but rather your mental health too. A car accident is incredibly life-altering and can hinder your quality of life for many years to come. PTSD or post-traumatic stress disorder is a condition that many faces following a car accident, and a condition that many suffer from and find themselves unable to cope with or manage.
Make a Visit
With car accidents, unfortunately, there is a huge risk for fatality. If the car accident you were involved in saw the death of a driver, then visit their family. You can go and offer your condolences and assure them it was not your fault (assuming it wasn’t). This can provide them with comfort and closure.
Now you know six things to do after a car accident. Avoid car accidents as best you can, drive safely, and drive responsibly. You should always report anyone who is driving recklessly, as they are risking lives.