Fri, 29 Sep 2023

A car crash can be a very traumatizing incident; despite your best efforts to stay vigilant and careful while driving, the mistake of another or some unforeseeable event can lead to a deadly car accident. Due to the terrifying accident, people are often too flustered afterward to take the appropriate steps to get help and proceed with the claims process later.

Below are some safety steps to ensure that you and your loved ones are secure after a car accident, along with a few more steps to help you with your insurance claims after. 

Check To Make Sure That You Are Not Injured

Before you can call for help, help anyone else or take any further steps, you must ensure that you are safe and have not sustained any injuries that would worsen with movement. You should check yourself to ensure that you are not bleeding too much.

If you feel that you have hurt your back or neck, staying still and not moving too much is best unless you think your place poses any immediate threat. If you sense that you have sustained a fracture or have immense pain in any part of your body, you should call for help or inform someone around you and tell them to call for help. It would be best to remain still while waiting for help to arrive.

Check On Any Passengers in the Car with You

If you feel okay and can move around without worsening your condition, you should check on anyone else's well-being in the car with you. If you think they have a back or neck injury, do not move them too much and ask them to stay still until help arrives.

If another car was involved in the accident and the occupants of that vehicle are not hostile towards you, you should check on their well-being.

Get Away From Any Dangerous Spots

If you are in the middle of the road, it is best to move to the side of the road if you are not injured too badly. If you think that the vehicle is unsafe, you should move away from it as soon as possible.

Call 911

Once you have made sure that you and any passengers are safe and have reached a secure area, you should call 911 for help. Even if you have not sustained any injuries, you need to inform the authorities and get them to the site. If you do not have a phone with you, you can ask bystanders to call 911.

The police officer on site will file a police report even in a minor accident, which may later be used for insurance claims.

Talk to Witnesses

You should talk to the bystanders and ask them to stay until help arrives to record their statements.

Attorney Dan Christensen from DC Law explained, "Often witnesses and bystanders will leave before the authorities arrive on site if they feel that all the people involved in the accident are unharmed. Thus, their statements cannot be recorded and used later. It is advisable for those involved to exchange information with the witnesses so that they can be contacted later even if they leave at the time."

 Take Photographs and Videos of the Crash Site

If you have a phone with you, you should take pictures and videos of the car crash to record any key pieces that may be lost over time. You can take photos of the car from various angles to document the damage. If another vehicle is involved, you should also document its license plate number.

Inform Your Insurance Company

If you feel that you are in a good state of health, you should call and inform your insurance company while you are still at the place of the accident. They can guide you about any further steps you might need to take to begin your claims proceedings.

Visit a Medical Professional

Even with no visible injuries, you may have suffered soft tissue injuries. It is best to visit a doctor as soon as possible after the accident. They can guide you if you have any injuries that are not obvious to you. It would be best to document any injuries you may have sustained.

 

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