In a Crash? 5 Key Things You Must Do After a Car Accident
Car accidents can happen anytime and anywhere and can be scary. Be prepared and know these 5 key things you must do after a car accident.
Are you a careful driver? Even the ablest of drivers can end up in car accidents, even if they weren’t responsible. Last year Britain’s Prince Phillip was forced to give up driving because of an accident. With more cars on the road and more distractions, unfortunately, car accidents are increasing.
Luckily cars today are also a lot safer than they once were and being involved in an accident doesn’t mean you will necessarily mean the worse: you might not even be injured.
But a car accident can still be a shocking and traumatic experience. But don’t panic if you find yourself in a car accident here’s what to do after a crash.
1. Call an Ambulance if Anyone is Hurt
The first thing to do in any crash scenario is to make sure everyone is ok. If people are injured then be sure to call an ambulance straight away. Try to go over to the other car and ask them if they are alright.
If it is a serious accident then you might need to act quickly, dragging them out of the car and doing CPR on them.
Even if the injuries are not serious then it might still be worth ordering a taxi to take those involved in the accident to a medical center for a check-up and to be treated for shock.
2. Get the Driver’s Details
Another important thing you need to do is to get the driver of the other car’s details or to share your details with them. Be sure to record the registration plate, the driver’s name, address and contact details as well as there insurance information.
Most drivers with a conscious are more than happy to co-operate in this way so that you can claim from their insurance for any damage to your car or to pay for any medical bills.
Likewise, you should cooperate with them if you think you are at fault and wait for the next steps rather than trying to be evasive.
If the driver refuses or drives off, make a note of the car’s registration plate which should be visible. This will be a crucial piece of evidence any future lawyer might need to claim some money for you.
3. Hire a Good Lawyer
If you are wondering ‘do I need a lawyer?’ the answer is probably yes! The following day after your crash or after you have had time to recover, call on a good accident lawyer. They will be able to give you valuable information as to how to proceed next.
Even if you think you don’t have a claim they might be able to help you. Equally, if you think you might be at fault they will be able to advise you on the best possible options.
A good lawyer will make you feel at ease and not feel any pressure about the stressful situation you find yourself then but behind the scenes, they will fight your corner hard. This way if you are entitled to compensation you will get what is owed to you.
And if others are trying to apportion the blame on you they will work hard to ensure you don’t have to pay out or accept blame in court.
Be sure to hire a lawyer that specializes in car crash scenarios rather than lawyers who are a jack of all trades.
4. Seek Out Witnesses
The next important step in determining what to do after an accident is to seek out witnesses to the crash. Understandably, looking for witnesses might not have been your priority on the day of the crash as you wanted to make sure nobody was hurt.
However, after you have recovered you can start to think of ways to contact people who witnessed what happened. Witnesses that don’t know either of the drivers can greatly help a case.
This is because they have a generally impartial view of what happened and might be able to confirm or deny parts of your case and help you win compensation or avoid taking the blame for an accident that wasn’t your fault at the whim of the other driver.
5. Make an Appeal
One way of tracking down witnesses is to appeal for them to come forward. You could do this in several different ways. Consider placing an advert in a local newspaper with the date, time and details of the accident. This way drivers who were passing by might recall the event.
You could also think about making a post on Facebook and asking your friends to share it around. See if there are any local neighborhood Facebook groups that have thousands of users and also share it with those as well.
Any car crash lawyer worth their salt should know the best way to gather witnesses so be sure to ask for their help.
A Car Accident Can Happen: Remember Your Health is the Most Important Issue
Car accidents, unfortunately, do happen. But thankfully very few of them end in deaths or serious injuries as cars get safer and more secure. Self-driving cars might slash the number of accidents in the near future and make driving safer. But for the moment a car accident can still be a traumatic experience.
If you’re wondering what to after a crash then the simple answer is focus on making sure everybody in all the cars involved are safe.
Only when everyone is safe and healthy can you then approach a good lawyer to be briefed on the next steps.
If you are interested in learning more about what do after a car accident be sure to check out the rest of our site.