Being prepared for every possible eventuality is highly unlikely. The best thing you can do is have an idea of what you should do in the event you find yourself in a less than ideal situation, like a car accident. Given the number of vehicles on the road, less than ideal road conditions and distracted driving, motor vehicle accidents are more prevalent than ever.
When you find yourself involved in a car accident, the first thing you should do is ascertain if anyone in either vehicle has sustained any injuries. In the event of significant injuries, such as possible broken bones or overt trauma, do not move the injured person and call for help. If you are the one who is hurt, at a later time, you may find it is in your best interest to seek the advice of an injury attorney.
Safety Basics
Being involved in a motor vehicle accident can be a scary situation. Knowing ahead of time what details to pay attention to will help you when you are overwhelmed and not thinking clearly. After you know if there are any injuries, pay attention to your environment.
Do you smell anything burning or see any smoke? Can you hear or see any liquids that may be leaking? Your safety should be your greatest concern. Everything else can be worked out in time.
If there are no injuries and you do not notice any immediate danger, such as something burning or leaking, if it is safe to do so, move your vehicle out of the roadway. Creating an obstruction to traffic may put you at risk of falling prey to yet another accident. By moving the cars out of the way, you are taking yet another step to keep yourself and your passengers safe.
Before you move your car, have a look around at the other vehicles involved. If you can, take a picture of their license plate just in case they decide to leave the scene. When you do move your vehicle, drive slowly and with your hazard lights on to make other motorists aware to use caution.
Do`s and Don`ts
Having to deal with an auto crash can be a nightmare. It is useful to know what things you should do and what you should avoid to make the process as smooth as possible. When speaking with anyone at the scene of the accident, do not admit fault, even if you feel you are at fault. Let the officer gather information, conduct his investigation and assess blame.
If the accident is minor and the police aren’t involved, the insurance companies will assign fault, by claiming wrongdoing to the other driver or any witnesses, it may come back to haunt you down the road. Along the same lines, do not get into an argument or shouting match with the other driver. Yelling will not resolve the issues at hand, nor will it change the circumstances of your situation.
You should absolutely get insurance information from the other driver and be ready to give yours in return. Even if you are unsure if you will be making an insurance claim or if both parties are going to settle the damages outside of insurance, having the information is something you may need at a later time.
To make sure you don`t incorrectly document information, take pictures. It makes for easier reference, should you need it, to have a picture of the other driver`s insurance card, license plate and driver`s license.
Being involved in an accident is never something you anticipate, knowing how you should proceed once it happens is priceless information.
