A staggering 15,000 plus car accidents occur every day in America, many of which leave the involved drivers and passengers injured or worse. Being harmed from an automobile collision is a frightening experience, and knowing what to do after suffering an injury from a car accident is challenging. Here are a few tips to help you if you find yourself in this unfortunate predicament.
Stay Put
Never leave the site of an automobile collision! If the collision was in part caused by you, the action of leaving is seen as a hit and run—some instances of hit and runs can net you a Class 2 misdemeanor or even a Class 3 felony in court.
Even if you’re not at fault for the accident, it’s best practice to stay put. For starters, you must wait for emergency response teams to arrive at the scene if you’re injured, ensuring you don’t exasperate an injury. Secondly, you don’t want to leave the scene and miss out on receiving vital information regarding the accident from the other car/cars involved.
Call for Help
Calling emergency response services is extremely important following an accident. Mainly, this provides you with swift medical attention that can reduce the negative impacts of any injuries suffered. Secondly, having authorities on site protects all parties involved by mediating the information exchange.
First responders are far more experience with harmful collisions and will ensure everyone follows the proper processes. This helps you down the line with legal endeavors and medical coverage.
Check In With Yourself
The best practice for dealing with an injury sustained from a collision is to move around as minimally as possible—you may not know the extent to which the accident harmed you, and movement can increase the effects of that injury. Stay put and check in with any other passengers in the vehicle.
If you have minor injuries and can move around normally, check in with the other driver. Takedown all necessary information from the other party involved, including:
- Full name of the driver
- Contact information
- Driver’s license
- License plate
- Make and model of vehicle
- Location of collision
- Any additional facts regarding the collision
Remember to never disclose any information about your well-being to the other party, as your insurance, their insurance, or the court can use this information against you.
Get Legal Help
Attorneys specialized in automobile-caused injuries are well versed in the law and deal with medical, legal, and insurance issues daily. They can help ensure you receive the best possible care and payout for any harm that occurred.
Remember to have all necessary documents at hand regarding the crash, as many unprepared plaintiffs find they can get denied for lawsuit funding and become financially responsible for medical and legal bills.
Ultimately, the most important outcome of any collision is that you and all parties involved are safe. These events are terrifying, and knowing what to do after suffering an injury from a car accident at the moment is tricky. These pointers will ensure you cover and protect yourself and anyone else who was a part of the accident.
