Every day, hundreds of car crashes happen all around the world. These vehicle collisions are responsible for claiming up to 3,700 lives daily, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
A prevalent global issue, car accidents often involve physical and property damage. It’s estimated that one in three vehicular mishaps result in driver and passenger injuries. In the United States alone, at least 90 persons get killed in fatal car crashes daily, according to a recent survey.
Apart from physical damage and financial losses, car collisions can also lead to more serious problems — all the more reason for drivers to take all precautions when on the road.
Unfortunately, accidents can and do occur. If you’re unfortunate enough to get entangled in a fender bender, discover how you can protect yourself, your passengers, and other motorists, by doing the following:
- Stop The Vehicle
Whether you get involved in a minor accident or a serious one, it’s imperative to stop the car to avoid getting charged with fleeing the scene of an accident. It’s against state rules to leave the accident site. If found guilty, you may be held liable to pay up to USD$250 in penalty fees, a 15-day jail time, or both.
If your car’s position is causing a major traffic jam or endangering more lives, it’s better to pull over to the side of the road for safety. Switch off the engine, and switch the hazard signal on.
- Check Yourself And Your Passengers For Injuries
Look for signs of bruises, cuts, abrasions, and blood. Some types of injuries may not be visible until hours, even days after the impact, so don’t discount the possibility of internal injuries if you don’t see any visible signs of physical harm. This is the reason why you need to seek medical help after a car collision.
Car accidents could affect motorists in many ways. Even minor accidents may trigger serious problems with your spinal cord and cause head injuries or bone fractures.
- Seek Medical and Police Assistance
Whether any of your passengers or the other party shows signs of injuries or not, call police and an ambulance for help.
No matter the gravity of the incident, you need police personnel to respond to and document the scene. These actions can be helpful in the future once you’ve decided to file any legal claim.
You may also consider calling professionals who can help you address more serious issues that could crop up following the collision.
- Preserve The Accident Scene
While waiting for the police and ambulance to arrive at the scene, try to remain calm and consider protecting the accident site. Activating your hazard lights is a good first step in protecting the area and warning other vehicles of the issue.
If the area is dim and your lights don’t work, look for a flash light, and use any early warning device that you can place a few meters away from your car.
- Document The Site
At the scene, try to collect information that’ll help you in filing your claims at a later stage. Snap images of the accident site. Take photos of the damage incurred by your car and the other vehicle from all angles. Include road markings and other debris, as well as the license plates of all the vehicles involved in the road mishap.
If you can, interview witnesses who’ve seen the accident and, with their consent, record their statements. If this isn’t possible, jot down their names and contact numbers for future reference.
These pieces of evidence are critical in the filing of accident reports for further file personal injury and car insurance claims. For these reasons, it’s a good idea to contact an attorney and your insurance provider shortly after the incident too.
- Exchange Information With The Other Party
After taking photos, videos, and audio recordings relative to the accident, you should ask for the information of all those involved. Apart from names and contact numbers, write down the other important entries such as:
- Driver’s license details, including name, date, and place of issuance
- Car registration number and license plates
- Vehicle information such as make, color, model year, and so on
- Vehicle insurance provider(s)
Don’t forget to take the details of the police officers who responded to the scene, as this is critical in filing an accident report and in following up on the results of the investigation.
- File An Accident Report
If don’t need to rush to the hospital, drop by the police station to have the incident recorded. You’ll be asked to recount the incident. Try to be objective in your statement, but don’t admit guilt or apologize, as this may negatively impact your future claims.
The Bottom Line
No matter how careful you are on the road, there’s no full guarantee that you’ll be safe from any car accident. Keeping calm and knowing how to respond properly in such incidents can help save lives and minimize damage.
Comments