It can happen any time of the day or night.
It can happen on a long road trip or on your daily commute or a few blocks away from your home after going to the grocery store.
It can happen while you are driving, riding in any sort of moving vehicle, riding a bike, running a marathon, or walking down the sidewalk.
Regardless of whose fault it is, regardless of your age, regardless of whether you were traveling for business or pleasure- you can be an unfortunate participant in a car accident if you are in an area where there are moving vehicles.
Being in an accident can be a traumatic experience no matter how major or minor the accident is. It does not matter whether you or other people are injured in an accident for an accident to be a disorienting experience. It can be hard to think rationally even if there do not appear to be injuries to people and/or damage to the vehicles involved.
Whether the accident you were in was a week ago or a few minutes ago, here is some information that may be helpful to you if you are asking yourself, what should I do after I’ve been in a car accident?
In Case of Fire
– If any of the vehicles involved in an accident that you have been in are on fire, or you feel that being in the vehicle you are in is dangerous, exit as quickly and carefully as you can.
– Once out of the vehicle, make sure that you have a safe route to get away from the damaged vehicle before moving as far away from the vehicle as you can.
Call the Authorities
– Get in contact with local authorities as soon as possible.
– Call 9-1-1 if people are injured and/or the situation appears hazardous.
Injuries
– Sometimes when a person is injured they will get a rush of adrenalin that will mask the pain of very serious injuries.
– If you are capable and feel that it is safe to do so, carefully examine yourself to see if you see any visible signs of injury and to see if you have your normal mobility.
– If you are capable of doing so, see if other people involved in the accident are injured.
– Call 9-1-1 if anyone is injured
Get to Safety
– If think you are okay, assess a safe route to a safe place to wait until the authorities arrive.
– If you are able, help others involved in the accident to get to a safe place.
Photographs & Documentation
– If you can do so safely, take photographs of the accident scene.
– Write down or make an audio recording on your phone, everything that you remember leading up to and during the accident.
Be Careful About Sharing Information
– Try not to talk to the other people involved in the accident until you have sought the advice of a qualified, legal practitioner. Many times, insurance companies will use what a person says directly after a traumatic experience, as evidence against that person.
While the information above is not a comprehensive list of things that need to or should be done after an accident, it may be helpful for you to know some of the things that typically need to be done. Laws vary from place to place. If you are unsure of what your responsibility is in your particular situation, you should seek advice from those who are authorized to advise you in such matters.