No one ever expects to be in a car accident, but it can happen out of nowhere. It is important to know what to do following an accident so you can be prepared. In addition to protecting your safety, there are a few steps you should take to make sure you are safe legally. You may be surprised to learn just how many things you should do following an accident. This guide will go over everything so you will be fully prepared in case you ever find yourself in an accident.
What to Do
You should be sure to do each of the things on this list immediately after an accident. They are arranged in order of importance, so you should take these steps in order:
- Evaluate whether you are hurt – The most important thing to do is to make sure you are unharmed. After an accident, you may have adrenaline pumping, which can make it hard to tell if you are injured. If you see any blood or have any reason to suspect you might be hurt, immediately call 911.
- Evaluate whether anyone else is hurt – If anyone else at the scene of the accident is hurt, immediately call 911.
- Evaluate whether the vehicles can be moved – If serious damage has been done to a vehicle, it should not be moved. However, if any vehicles are blocking traffic, they need to be moved as soon as possible. If the vehicles cannot be moved, or they must cross several lanes of traffic to be moved off the road, do not attempt to move them and call 911 instead.
- Exchange information with all other drivers – As soon as any emergency situations have been dealt with, your first priority should be to exchange insurance and contact information with all drivers involved in the accident. Do not discuss fault at this time.
- Exchange contact information with any potential witnesses – Witnesses can be a huge legal help, but they may not stick around. Do not delay speaking to potential witnesses.
- Call the police – Call the non-emergency police number for your area. Officers may or may not arrive to create an accident report.
- Take notes and pictures of the accident – Get as much information as you can about how the accident happened and any damage done to all vehicles.
- Call your insurance provider – Once everything else has been taken care of, do not forget to call your insurance provider and submit a claim.
If you follow these steps every time, you will have nothing to worry about. For more information about legal considerations following a car accident call a car accident lawyer, like a car accident lawyer in Green Bay, WI, today for more information.
Thank you to the experts at Hickey & Turim SC for their insight into what to do after a car accident.