What To Do If You’ve Been Seriously Harmed In A Car Accident

Stay calm

If you’re involved in an car accident, before you make any rash decisions, the first thing you should do is take a second to stop and take a deep breath. Use this moment to take stock of everything going on around you so you can properly assess the situation.

Assess your physical state

The next thing to do is to check yourself for any injuries, check your head, arms, and legs for bleeding. 

You may feel like “Cmon, if I’m injured I’m very sure I’ll know”, well the thing is during high stress, dangerous situations like this, your body is usually pumped full with adrenaline to give you the additional boost to protect yourself, this includes numbing your senses, so no, you won’t.

So you may be injured and not know it, that is why the self-check is important, if you’re injured remain where you are, but if you’re not incapacitated, try to pull over to the side of the road and get to safety.

Call 911 and tell them you’ve been in a car accident 

If you’re too injured to make the call, tell any onlooker to please inform the police of the incident. If you’re capable, make the call and report the situation to them, endeavor to do this regardless if everyone is being cooperative and your injuries are not severe. 

This is not a slight towards the other party, it is because you will still require a written police report to give to your insurance company.

Also, try to keep the scene as untouched as possible in the case that you may want to file a claim in the future.

Seek medical treatment 

If you have been injured, the best thing you can do for yourself is getting medical attention. Don’t worry about expenses and bills, just about health. 

Also if you do wait around before seeing a physician, your insurance company usually uses it against your claim, saying it must have not been that “serious” if you waited that long.

Employ an experienced car accident lawyer

Ask for recommendations from people who you know have gone through this kind of situation before and interview them individually. If you are in Alabama, you will need a personal injury law firm in Huntsville to assess your claims and build a good personal injury case. 

Make your findings and employ an attorney who is proficient in this specific type of case, ask them about their previous cases similar to yours and also their win percentage, that’s important.

Be descriptive when you explain your injuries

During your examination, you should take the time to provide a detailed explanation of your physical, emotional, and mental state at the time. This is important as the detailed explanation can be called upon from the medical records when filing for a claim with your insurance company.

Exchange contact information with the other party

For future purposes, you should try your possible best to collect the information of the other people involved in the car accident. 

You may need to reach out to them in case of insurance settlements. Also, collect the information of witnesses to the car accident as these may come in handy if the incident gets to court.

Be patient with the car accident process

If you plan to file a claim with your insurers, then you need to know that it is not a quick process. There is a procedure to follow which may take from weeks to months depending on the complexity of the case. So ensure to get mentally prepared to be in it for the long haul if you want to seek recovery for your injuries. 

If you are ever in a car accident or any accident at all, the priority should always be your health and safety. However, as you take all precautionary measures, also keep in mind the procedures required to keep your insurance policy intact in the case that you need it. 

Always remember to stay calm at all times and remain at the scene of the accident as is required by the law. Stay safe, drive safely and I hope you never have to use this knowledge.