What to Do In the Event of A Car Accident
Published by MaxBro on Tagged Random8 Simple Guidelines Based on My Own Experience
Over the past few days as I’ve thought about the experience of my car accident as described here, I’ve learned a great deal. This general guide should help you in the event you are in anything from a little fender bender to something more catastrophic that results in your car getting totaled. Naturally, for more severe accidents different precautions and actions may be required.
1.) If possible, safely move your vehicle out of the way of traffic. You don’t want to risk causing another accident if your car is stuck in the middle of the road. Put on your emergency lights, and gently pull off to curb or into a side street.
2) Stay Calm. It’s perfectly natural to encounter shock or fear in the aftermath of a car accident. However, you should do your best to remain cool and in control as much as possible. When I was hit, I held onto the steering wheel and took several deep breaths, and I found those methods helped enormously. Staying calm is especially important if you have other passengers like young children in the car that may require assistance.
3.) Immediately check yourself for any injuries. A minor hit from another car may make you feel only a little banged up, but you should still check yourself thoroughly. Rub your arms and legs, move your head slowly side to side. Whatever you do, do not make any sudden movements or you may possibly hurt yourself further. According to the doctor I spoke with in the emergency room I went to a couple days after the accident, many times injuries don’t emerge until up to 24-48 hours following the accident. So treat your body very gingerly. If there is no danger to remaining in your car, then stay seated until help arrives.
4.) Dial 911. With cell phones practically ubiquitous, it’s probable that before you even have a chance to dial the police, someone else may have already done so. Still, you should report the accident all the same. I was fortunate in my accident as before I had a chance to dial the guy in front of me I’d hit already had.
5.) Follow whatever instructions the 911 operator tells you. Every accident is different and requires different responses. Make sure you describe your predicament clearly to the operator so that he can tell you exactly what to do.
6.) Call your insurance agent and follow whatever instructions they give you. They may have you get the license plate number of the other drivers and insurance data from the other drivers. If you happen to have a camera handy or one in your cell phone, take pictures of the accident.
7.) Do not admit fault no matter what. When the police come, or if the other drivers start asking questions, remember that you are not on trial. Even if you think you may have caused the accident, do not admit fault to anything. When the police come for your statement, slowly and articulately render just the facts. Remember Joe Friday from that TV show Dragnet and his popular phrase “Just the facts, ma’am?” Be like Joe Friday.
8.) Call a family member or friend. This is a good thing to do while your waiting for the police to arrive. Even in a small accident, it always helps to talk to someone. This will also help keep you calm and composed for when the police come. Also be sure to call anyone else that needs to know in the event you need a ride or have to adjust your schedule (i.e. employer, babysitter, etc.)
Important to Remember: The police may not come right away. Even though my accident happened on a busy road by a large intersection, it still took over 25 minutes before a squad car arrived. I found this surprising because having driven those roads frequently I usually saw cops everywhere. But no matter how busy the road is, you cannot assume that help will arrive right away. Do not take it personal, and do not think it’s because the police don’t care. Depending on the time of the day and the distance, it may take some time before they arrive. Just follow step number one above and stay calm.
Here are a few links I found that will help provide more information concerning the insurance end:
Geico: What to Do If You Are In An Accident
State Farm Insurance: What to Do After An Auto Accident
Here is a great link concerning the legal aspect:
Consumer Law Page: After the Accident: What To Do
Of course, always remember to buckle up. I wore mine and it absolutely saved me from incurring any serious injuries. Drive safe.
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