The last thing any driver wants on the road is to be involved in a car accident. This scary experience can leave you with lasting injuries and a general fear of the road. However, the unfortunate reality of driving is that accidents do happen and, sometimes, they are unavoidable no matter how good of a driver you may be. Knowing what to do after an accident happens can help you prevent additional injury while also protecting yourself legally. To that end, learn every single step you need to take during the immediate aftermath and near future following a car accident.
1. Ensure Safety First
First and foremost, you will want to check if you were hurt in a car crash or if anyone else was injured. This factor will be the indicator of whether emergency services need to be called, which is why it’s first on the list. Assess yourself, your passengers, and anyone else, and don’t hesitate to call 911 if you are uncertain about any injuries. Going beyond your immediate safety, assuming it is safe to do so, try to move your vehicle to the side of the road.
Car accidents rarely occur in convenient places and leaving your vehicles in the middle of the road can lead to secondary accidents that cause other injuries. Once you have moved your car to the side of the road, flip on your hazard lights to alert other drivers to your presence. Only stay put if there are severe injuries where it is not safe to move or if the traffic around you is moving too quickly for you to safely get all vehicles out of the road.
2. Call the Police
In truth, this step is not always necessary, but it is certainly helpful. Even for minor accidents, an official police report of the event can be pivotal for insurance claims or legal battles. Officers will show up to document the scene and make an initial determination of whether or not any traffic laws were violated. When speaking to law enforcement, simply stick to the facts and don’t admit any fault, even if you aren’t entirely sure what happened. Request the police report as soon as it becomes available as well.
Be aware that in some jurisdictions, police officers will not be dispatched for a minor accident, especially one with no injuries. If the police don’t come for this reason, document the accident yourself using all of the following steps.
3. Gather Evidence and Exchange Information
The third step to follow after getting into a car accident is perhaps the most important of the bunch: document anything and everything. There are a slew of details you should try to gather in the form of photo and video evidence, but the most pertinent pieces of information are as follows:
- The full name and contact information of the other driver(s)
- The other driver’s license number
- The license plate number of any cars involved
- The other driver’s insurance provider and policy number
- The date, time, and location of the accident
- Photos or videos of the weather and road conditions
- Photos or videos of the damage to all vehicles involved.
- Photos or videos of the injuries to anyone at the scene.
When taking photos or videos of the scene, try to get both wide shots of the accident scene and close-ups of the damage to any vehicles. You should also make an effort to record traffic signals, particularly if they are malfunctioning, road signs, skid marks, and other signs of the crash. Assuming there were witnesses present, you should also politely walk up and ask them to provide a statement on what they saw, along with their contact information.
4. Notify Your Insurance Company
Shortly after the accident happens, ideally within 24 hours, you should report the incident to your insurance company, regardless of who was at fault. Most insurance companies require timely reporting anyway, and doing so within a day will meet the criteria for the vast majority of providers. When reporting the crash, only give factual details and avoid speculating about who was at fault and why.
During the claims process, you can expect your insurance company to investigate the accident. They may ask for additional details from you, like medical records or repair estimates, so provide everything as promptly as possible. If an adjuster needs to call you, avoid giving any recorded statements without first getting legal advice (particularly if you believe you were at fault). Also, never accept a settlement offer before fully understanding the full extent of the damages you have suffered.
5. Seek Medical Attention
While this fifth step can sometimes run concurrently with the fourth, it is necessary nonetheless. Some injuries such as whiplash or internal bleeding may not show symptoms immediately after an accident and, while you feel fine, there may be something wrong that you can’t see. Seek out medical attention for this reason and for the fact that it creates a record that can be used to support injury claims if you are in fact hurt.
If you have any serious injuries, you should go to the doctor right away, but at least try to get an appointment within 24-48 hours if you have any pain, dizziness, or discomfort following the crash. Keep any records of your doctor visits, diagnoses, prescriptions, and more so that you have evidence to provide if the situation devolves into a lawsuit.
Bounce back from a car accident successfully
Car accidents are scary experiences that can leave you scarred for years to come. However, by handling the situation properly by ensuring safety, contacting the authorities, documenting everything, informing your insurance company, and understanding your legal options, you can handle the aftermath with success. Always stay calm after a crash and remember to contact a car accident attorney if you think there is more to your case than meets the eye.
