Car accidents are a common source of injury, and unfortunately, it doesn’t look like roads will be getting any safer any time soon. As a car accident lawyer like our friends at Council & Associates, LLC can explain, it’s important to know what you should do after a car accident – and who you should call if you want to lawyer up. Read on to see what you should do after a car accident, and see how a lawyer can help.
- Make Sure Everyone’s Safe
First and foremost: Stay calm, and get everyone to safety if possible. Don’t hang around on the highway, and don’t hang around in a busy intersection. If you can move your body, get yourself someplace safe. If you can move your car, pull it over to a safe area.
Check with your passengers and the occupants of other vehicles if you can. If anyone is injured, don’t move them – that’s a job for the pros. It’s important to prioritize the safety of everyone involved, but if someone is injured inside of his or her vehicle, you don’t want to risk making anything worse. Once you’re all as safe as possible, go straight to step 2.
- Call First Responders
Call 911 to report the accident, and report any injuries. It’s important to remain calm when you’re on the phone with dispatch. They’ll probably ask you where you are, but if you can’t remember the exact address or you’re too shaken, you can tell them about certain landmarks. At this time, you can ask others about the exact location.
Once you’ve called 911, sit tight. They’ll arrive to handle any injuries (including your own). But in the meantime – and after they arrive – you can document the accident.
- Take Pictures Of Everything
Documenting the accident is an important step that many people forget, whether it’s out of adrenaline or just because they’re too caught up in the moment. Take photos of the scene of the accident, and take video if possible. When you’re documenting the accident, get pictures of the vehicles involved, and the extent of the damage.
Don’t forget to take pictures of the surrounding area, too. This can help if you need to fill in first responders if they have any questions about the accident later, and it’ll definitely help your lawyer if you decide to file a lawsuit.
- Get Everyone’s Contact Info
Get everyone’s insurance information, and their contact information as well. Ideally, you won’t have to be in touch with anyone aside from insurance providers, but it’s good to have everyone’s details just in case.
Quick tip: When you’re getting everyone’s phone numbers, make sure to make a test call while everyone’s still at the scene of the accident. You never know if someone’s giving you a fake number, and in the rush of an accident, you may want to double check that you wrote down the number correctly anyways.
- Get In Touch With A Lawyer
If your car accident was caused by someone else’s negligence, you shouldn’t have to pay for your injuries out of pocket. Insurance may be able to help, but there’s no guarantee your provider will pay you enough – or on time. Fortunately, you can lawyer up to get some much-needed financial compensation.