The First 5 Things to do After Being in a Car Accident

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​Being in any kind of accident can be a hugely traumatic experience, but being
in a car accident can be a whole new ball game. If you are lucky enough to not
have suffered any kind of serious injury and can walk away from the wreck,
you are one of the lucky ones. Injured or not, if somebody else was to blame
you will need a car accident lawyer to handle your case. Immediately following
the accident these are the first 5 things you should do.

STOP!
If you are involved in any kind of accident, however minor it may seem, you
are bound by law to stop. Even if you don’t think any damage was caused you
must stop your car if you have collided with anything or anyone.

Can You Move?
The first few seconds following an RTA may well be the most frightening of
your life. Even after a minor crash you will be shocked and disorientated. It
may take a few minutes for you to snap back into the moment and assess the
damage. Can you move your limbs freely without pain? Are you able to
unbuckle your seat belt and open the car door? If you are able to get out of
the car do so as quickly as you possibly can. If you are trapped in your vehicle
try and raise the alarm in any way you can.

Call 911
If everyone presumes everyone else has called 911 but nobody actually has it
can mean the difference between life and death. This may sound far fetched
but these scenarios actually happen. The more calls there are from a specific
accident also gives the emergency services a better idea as to how many
vehicles and people are involved. One frantic phone call from somebody still
sitting in their car is not going to be able to give them enough information.

Helping Others
If you are assisting others who are clearly injured please proceed with caution
and follow basic first aid rules and apply a liberal dose of common sense. If a
motorcyclist is involved never try and remove their helmet unless it’s
absolutely necessary. If they are breathing leave it where it is. They could
have neck injuries which would be greatly exacerbated by the removal of the
helmet. Check airways, apply pressure to wounds, never remove anything
stuck in a wound and don’t move anyone unless it’s essential. It will be
incredibly hard but try and stay calm. This will go a long way to help the
injured.

Never Admit You’re Responsible
Even if you know you were responsible for the crash, never start apologizing
to others involved and saying it was your fault. You may not realize but an
insurance policy is actually a contract and the company will have stated that
you must not assume liability or responsibility. It is up to them to deal with
claims, not you and by admitting your guilt you are opening up a real can of
worms in terms of lawsuits being filed against you.