If you or a loved one have been involved in a car accident, there is a good chance that you are overwhelmed and unsure of what to do next. While it would be easy to call a friend, contact your insurance company, or seek the help of your family, you might be wondering what the initial steps are after being involved in a car accident. What to do after being involved in a car accident can seem overwhelming and even scary at first looking at all that may need to occur.
In order to fully understand what to do after being involved in a car accident, you need to understand that there is a difference between an automobile accident and a trucking accident. This will help you determine who should be contacted after an automobile accident as well as who should be contacted if involved in a trucking accident.
Check yourself for injuries
Often victims of a car accident are focused on the mechanical damage to their car. While this is important, it is also important to look for other injuries such as cuts and bruises. Oftentimes, victims of automobile accidents lose consciousness after the crash, so road rash may be present. This will not hurt unless you continue to rub it against your vehicle which could lead to more serious injuries. It is important to also look for signs of head injury, including a headache and confusion. If you feel as though you are experiencing a concussion, go to the nearest hospital immediately.
Exchange information with the other driver
The first thing that should be done after being involved in a car accident is to exchange information with the other driver. Even if both parties disagree about who was at fault for the accident, it is important to get both drivers’ contact information including their driver’s license number, their full name, their address, and phone numbers. Having this information will prevent both parties from being unsure about who is responsible for the accident. It also means that both parties will be able to be contacted in case of any questions about the accident.
Check on the well-being of your passengers
In order to determine whether or not the people involved in your car accident are injured, it is important to check them for any signs of injury. If the passenger of your car is unconscious, check their airway and breathing. If they are lying on the ground, check their airway by leaning over them and placing your mouth close to their nose or mouth in order to breathe for them. Check also for any wounds that they may have received as well as a broken wrist or ankle.
Get to safety
Drive to a safe and well-lit location in order to exchange information with the other driver. If there is any damage to your vehicle, do not pull over onto the shoulder of the road, but instead find a gas station or parking lot. If you are injured, it would be wise to hang up the phone and leave the scene of the accident to seek medical help. While not everyone will have insurance, this is vital information that needs to be obtained. You need to call your own insurance company as well as their claim department in order to file a claim for any damages or injuries that may have occurred during the crash.
Document the accident
After being involved in a car accident, it is important to get pictures of your vehicle, including the front and back of the car as well as any skid marks. These pictures can be used to show further damage that may have occurred after the accident. If you are not injured, you can also take pictures of any damage that was done to your vehicle by using objects around you such as a stop sign or writing on the road, and then taking a picture of what it says. As well as taking pictures, it would be wise to also note the time of when the accident occurred as well as who was driving and who was in the passenger seat.
Notify your insurer and start the claims process
After being involved in a car accident, you need to notify your own insurance company by calling them as well as creating an online claim. This will allow you to be protected in case of any other types of damage or injury caused by the accident. It is important that you only contact your insurance company and not the other driver’s insurance company unless they contact you first. Your insurance company will not reimburse any damages caused by the crash if it was a result of another driver and their lack of care or poor driving ability.
Contact a lawyer if the accident was not your fault
It is important to contact auto accident injury attorneys immediately after being involved in an auto accident that was not your fault. It may be difficult to determine who is at fault but there are common circumstances where it is easy to determine which driver caused the car accident, such as when there were no brake lights present or if one driver turned in front of another vehicle. In order to file a claim against the other driver, it would be wise to contact an attorney that specializes in personal injury law.
Bottom line
While it is important to be patient in between meetings with your insurance company and any medical tests that may require, it is important to remember that this is the only time to care for yourself. Drivers everywhere need to take note of their limits and drive within those limits so that they are able to avoid car accidents with other drivers. If you or someone you know has been involved in an automobile accident of any kind, whether it was your fault or not, it is important to contact an experienced attorney. You need to contact a personal injury lawyer to file a claim and to receive the compensation that you deserve.