Nobody wants to focus on negative potentials and, hopefully, you never experience a car accident in your life. But you do face the risk of being in an accident every time you get behind the wheel of a vehicle. After all, accidents aren’t always going to be a consequence of your own actions – they can often happen as a result of other road users’ negligence too. So, it’s important that you know what to do if you do experience an accident. Here are a few basic steps to keep you in the know.
Stop Your Vehicle
It is absolutely essential that you stop your car as soon as it’s safe to do so when you’re part of an accident. This applies no matter what the accident is – hitting a pedestrian, hitting a pet or large animal, hitting someone else’s property, or hitting another vehicle. You will be prosecuted if you fail to stop at the scene of an incident. If it’s a large accident, stop where you are. If it’s a small collision, pull to the side of the road so other traffic can still pass by.
Call for Medical Help
If anyone has been hurt in the incident, it’s absolutely essential that you call for medical help as soon as possible. This will allow professionals to be dispatched and will get them to the scene of the incidentas a quickly as possible. If injuries are visible, listen to the advisor on the line and follow their instructions. You will be advised to practice basic first aid until medical assistance arrives and will be supported through this process.
Collect Other Individuals’ Personal Details
If there aren’t immediate medical emergencies to focus on, it’s important that you deal with the situation with other individuals who were involved in the incident. You will need to collect the other individuals’ details for insurance purposes – otherwise you may have to fork out the costs of repairs yourself. When taking details, you should note down their full name, address, registration number and their insurance details. Noting the make and model of their car is also good for reference. You should also find out whether the vehicle they are driving is their own. If it’s not, you should take the details of the registered owner too. Make sure to note down the time of the incident and details of what happened, as your memory may wane later.
Contact Legal Help
When you’re involved in a road accident, you may need legal help, as you may need to defend yourself or make a claim. If this is the case, these car accident lawyers won’t fail you.
Contact a Therapist or Counselor
Of course, being involved in an accident can prove to be an extremely traumatic experience. If you find yourself struggling to deal with the incident, you may want to reach out to a therapist or counselor for support. Alternatively, there are plenty of support groups and helplines out there too.
Hopefully, you’ll never have to put any of this information into practice. But it’s always best to be in the know and it’s better to be safe than sorry!
