No matter what type of car accident you have been involved in, it’s important to follow the right course of action in the middle of the chaos to protect yourself, loved ones, and third parties in the accident. Make sure you follow the advice in the article and in the correct order to be safe.
Check Personal Safety
In the event of a car accident, the first person you should check is yourself. If you try to check someone else first, you might cause yourself an injury; you might also be ineffective at helping another person. Make sure you can breathe easily and that you don’t have any serious injuries.
Most vehicles have an emergency medical kit in the glove box or in the trunk of the car; use this if necessary. If you have any cuts wrap bandages around them, and try not to move too much if you feel like you have strains or whiplash injuries. Personal safety needs to be the first priority.
Check Other’s Safety
If you feel like you are safe and well, you can turn your attention to other people in the vehicle or in the third-party vehicle; this is the next priority. Depending on the extent of the crash, you might be dealing with a small claim or a life-threatening situation, be ready for anything.
Driving a vehicle on the road seems like a safe activity; after all, it’s something you have been doing ever since you passed your driving test decades ago, but driving is one of the most dangerous activities there is, even for experienced drivers. Keep emergency numbers handy.
Wait for Emergency Services
If you are involved in a serious accident, you might require emergency services. Ambulances, police, and fire services can be on the scene in minutes, ready to cut someone from the wreck and take them to the hospital, and interview any witnesses and those involved in the crash.
It’s important that you wait around at the scene even if you are safe and your car is fine to drive home. If you were involved in the accident in any way – even as an onlooker – you need to wait around for the emergency services to come and go and for the police to take your statement.
Talk to Police
One of your main duties following an accident is to speak to the police and give a statement. Shortly after an accident is the best time to speak to the police, the events are clear in your mind, and this is the information that will be used in a courtroom if the situation does develop.
Again, it depends on the seriousness of the accident, but you might have to speak to one or more police people and give more than one statement. This can feel laborious, but it is important; it’s also useful for you to start to consolidate the events in your mind more clearly.
Contact a Lawyer
In the days following the accident, you will have to contact a car accident lawyers to find out about your compensation claims and to inform them about the crash. A professional lawyer is essential to have in your corner following a car accident to provide the correct legal advice.