What to Do After a Car Accident
Although it may seem unlikely that you will be involved in a crash, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that millions of Americans are hurt in collisions each year. Crashes can be confusing and the adrenaline involved in surviving one can make it difficult to think about the situation clearly. However, knowing the right steps to take after being involved in an accident can be vitally important to your health and can also help ensure that you receive fair compensation for your damages. Knowing what to do after a car accident before-hand can help you be sure of yourself in a stressful situation. The following blog contains useful information about how to protect yourself and gather evidence at the scene of an accident.
Safety First
The most important thing to do after a crash is to make sure that you and the occupants of your vehicle are ok. Immediately check yourself and others for injuries and if you suspect anyone has suffered a serious injury, call for emergency help right away. After calling for help, render whatever first-aid you can in order to help stabilize injured parties.
After calling for help and applying first aid, it is important to make sure that you won’t be hit by another vehicle. If your vehicle is operational, drive it to a safe area away from traffic. If you cannot start the car, turn on your hazard lights, exit the vehicle carefully, and use any flashlights or phones you have to make yourself highly visible while you walk to a safe area. After reaching a safe location away from passing vehicles, light traffic flares so that you can be sure cars can see you.
Exchange Information
After ensuring safety, make sure that you get the information you need from all drivers involved in the crash. You should take down the names, license numbers, insurance policy information, home addresses, and phone numbers of every driver. It’s a good idea to keep a checklist of necessary information in your glove box so that you don’t forget any details.
Collect Evidence
Evidence collected at the scene of a crash can be very important later on and is often a crucial part of determining personal injury cases. After exchanging information, look around the scene for anybody who may have watched the crash happen. Take short statements from these people and ask whether or not they noticed any traffic violations. Make sure to record their contact information so that you can get in touch with them later on if you need to. You can also check local homes or business with windows facing the accident scene for further witnesses.
After speaking with witnesses, you should take pictures of any damage done to your vehicle and any injuries that you or occupants of your car suffered. It’s also a good idea to take pictures of the roadway, especially any skid marks left on the pavement, broken lights or signs, or major potholes.
Speak To a Personal Injury Lawyer
Finally, call a trusted Anderson car accident lawyer. Injury cases can be complicated and it is best to get advice from an experienced professional before you take legal action. A good lawyer will be able to listen to the details of your case with compassion and can give you advice about what you may be owed as well as further steps you can take to ensure you are fully compensated.
Those filing personal injury claims should be aware that there are time limits which need to be met. To learn a bit more about these restrictions, watch this video:
More by Ed Smith, Anderson Car Accident Lawyer
- Statistics on Anderson Car Accidents
- How can an Anderson Personal Injury Lawyer Help Me?
- Teen Fatally Injured in Anderson Crash
Anderson Auto Accident Attorney
I’m Ed Smith, an Anderson car accident lawyer. Accident injuries can be hard to recover from. If you’ve been injured during a crash, get in touch with me at (530) 392-9400 or (800) 404-5400 for free, friendly advice regarding your case.
I’ve been helping people in Anderson with claiming the payments they are justly owed for wrongful death and personal injury claims since 1982. Visit this page to read through my previous settlements and verdicts and find honest reviews from my clients at:
I’m one of the attorneys in a national forum for trial lawyers who’ve won a million dollar verdict or settlement, Million Dollar Advocates Forum.
What to Do After Traumatic Collisions: Ed Smith
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