No one wants to get involved in an accident. However, millions of accidents happen worldwide every year, making it a concern for everyone using the roads. Major accidents will lead to damages, injuries, or loss of lives. Minor ones lead to damages and some light injuries. No matter how the accident happened or its damages, it becomes devastating to get into one.
Immediately one gets into an accident, they will feel anxious, upset, and probably confused. This state is natural to everyone, as no one prepares to be involved in such misfortunes. However, upon becoming a victim of an accident, there are things you need to do to protect your interests and also increase your chances of compensation.
Here are eight essential things you should do immediately if you get involved in an accident.
Stop and Check the Scenes for More Dangers and Injuries
When you get involved in a motor vehicle accident, you have to ensure that it won't continue happening, risking more lives. Safety is the number one priority in an accident scene. This situation means that you have to stop, check yourself out of the accident, and rescue others to safety.
While sometimes there are severe injuries that make one not move out, you should check other victims to ensure no one is in danger. Suppose some require urgent medical care. In that case, it is paramount to call emergency medical services or have them rushed to the hospital to secure their lives.
Move to Safety and Call the Police
Once everyone is accounted for and pulled out of the vehicles, you need to find a safer place and call the police. The number 911 is always available for such emergencies, and it's essential to call it and ask for help. When calling 911, ensure that everyone is secure and your cars have flashers or other warnings to oncoming motorists.
When calling the police, ensure you know the place and every detail of the accident to relay the same to them. Give them your location, the type of accident, the number of vehicles involved, injuries, deaths, and other information they might require. At times, the police officers might come with an emergency team to help the victims. When the accident is minor, they might inform you to visit the nearest station.
Take Details of the Accident Scene
When you call the police, they will come with two primary duties. One is to take details of the accident scene, while the other is to clear the accident scene. While the police report will contain all details of the accident, it is essential to document the same for your future use as auto accidents are complicated, and the lawyers recommend capturing all the necessary details, as they will help prove your compensation case.
How does one take the details? You can use your smart gadget to take pictures of the vehicle, road condition, injuries, and other details relevant to the accident. Ensure you put such details in a secure place or hand them over to your lawyer.
Exchange Specifications With Other Individuals Involved in the Crash
It is crucial to get the other driver details, which you can use later in your case. Such details include the driver's home address, contact details, insurance company, driver's license, vehicle plate number, among other things.
You should also check on their condition, if drunk, and the state of their passengers. Besides this, you have to take the witnesses' details, including their contact details.
Have a Constructive Conversation with Parties Involved
Of course, when you get involved in a road accident, emotions will run high. You might start questioning people or blame them for the accident. Never blame anyone at the scene, and it is best if you keep your cool.
The best thing you can do is to get all the necessary details and leave the rest to the police, attorneys, and the insurance company. The police report will determine what happened, while your lawyer will handle the rest.
Get Medical Check-up
Sometimes, the injuries are not that much, and they can wait until this step. However, it would be best to take care of severe injuries immediately to save lives. After you are done documenting the accident scene, and you are cleared to go, it is crucial to head straight to the hospital and complete a medical checkup.
The doctor will diagnose you and check for any injuries, including internal bleeding which shows up later. The doctor is also responsible for your medical report, which is necessary when filing for your compensation case to show how you got injured in the accident.
Contact Your Insurance Company
It is essential to check the details of your insurance policy while taking this step. Some insurance companies will require contacting your insurance company – even when not at fault, before contacting the other driver's insurance for compensation. When you do so, they will give you steps to take and other details that might boost your compensation chances. At times, your insurance company might contact the at-fault insurance company on your behalf for compensation.
The at-fault insurance company might at times contact you. When such happens, you should not give the details or accept their offer. They might be trying to jeopardize your compensation chances. Wait until you get instructed by your insurance company or lawyer.
Contact Your Lawyer
You should always have your accident lawyer on speed dial if you are a frequent road user. Your lawyer should be aware of the accident immediately to prepare you for your compensation claim. They will help collect more evidence, talk to witnesses, get police and medical reports, and follow up with your compensation case.
Lawyers have all the required education, skills, and experience in handling any compensation case. They have been doing this for several cases, and yours will be an easy one, regardless of how complicated it is. They will also take your case to a court of law if the insurance company fails to heed your demands.
Becoming a victim of an accident can be traumatizing. You might lose your vehicle, spend some days in the hospital or even get permanently disabled. While we might not control the accidents at times, it is better to take the proper steps to avoid more injuries and increase compensation chances.