With winter already here, and the roads busier than ever, it’s becoming more and more likely that you’ll have an accident. Of course, most people make regular drives without any trouble. So, you can rest assured that you’re still fairly unlikely to have an accident. But, it’s still worth being prepared for the event, if it does happen. To help you out, this post will go through exactly what you should do at the scene of a crash.
- Call Emergency Services
At the scene of a crash, the very first thing you should do is call the emergency services. In some circumstances, you may need all three. But, for most, you’ll only need police and ambulance services. This provides a few benefits. First and foremost, it limits the chance that there will be any fatalities. Life should always be your primary concern, in an event like this. So, once you’ve contacted the emergency services, you should try and help others. But, only do this if it is safe to do so. It also ensures that you can get a police report and medical help, to backup any legal claims that you need to make.
- Seek Eye Witness Reports
When it comes to insurance claims and court cases, you’ll need as many witnesses as possible. There’s rarely any tangible evidence in a car accident, especially if it’s made it’s way to court. So, it’s important to have other kinds of evidence. When collecting these reports, make sure that you also collect their contact details, as well. It can be worth talking to the other driver, as well. Try to get their side of the story on paper, and have them sign it. Only do this if you can avoid any confrontation, though. Getting into arguments at the scene of an accident will only make things worse.
- Get Medical Attention
If you are injured at all, you should get medical attention. A lot of the injuries that occur at the scene of a crash are long-term. And, some are unnoticeable, even under the eye of a doctor. So, if you think you may need to make a legal claim due to an injury, it’s worth getting the help while it’s there. This will provide evidence that you were hurt, and will make it hard for anyone to disprove otherwise.
- Call Your Lawyer
If you think you may need legal help, it’s worth calling a lawyer at the scene. They can give you advice to help you talk to the police and other drivers, and they can advise whether or not you should take action. Even if you don’t have a lawyer, you can get one on the spot. It doesn’t matter if you choose Keller & Keller for your car accident case or anyone else. They’ll be able to help you all they way through the process of any court proceedings.
Hopefully, you never get into an accident. And, if you do, it’s not serious enough to warrant court. But, it’s always worth being prepared. Knowing what to do at the scene will make it much easier for you to stay cool.
