subject: What To Do In The First Moments After An Automobile Crash [print this page] Being in a vehicle accident is an incredibly stressful event. After a crash your heart is racing and your head is spinning. It is incredibly difficult to regain composure and regain your ability to think clearly. The adrenaline rush can cloud your ability to think and make you more emotional than you otherwise would be. Normally calm people may come out of their car ready for a confrontation. Others are terrified about what's happened and talk without speaking. It is incredibly difficult to start to think rationally about what just happened.
Unfortunately, in those moments after an automobile accident, you need to start to think clearly about what just happened and what you need to do. There are a few obvious things. Stay safe at all times. Do not walk into any road where other cars are traveling. Do not leave the scene of a crash. Beyond that, here are some more specific guidelines for what you should do after an accident.
CHECK TO SEE IF YOU, OR ANYONE ELSE, NEEDS EMERGENCY MEDICAL CARE.
Your first priority should be getting any necessary medical attention as quickly as you can. Check to see if you are injured. Do a quick scan of your body to see if you notice any pain or are bleeding. Check to see if you have any numbness in your body, or tingling.
Check your passengers. See if they respond to your voice. Is anyone bleeding or in obvious pain? Similarly, check the people in the other car if you can safely.
If any one in any automobile looks like they need medical attention, call 911 immediately. Err on the side of calling for an ambulance. Calling for the police is a prudent move if the accident is at all serious. Try to relay your location as precisely as you can to allow the first responder to find you.
Whatever you do, do not attempt to move someone who has been seriously injured, and unless you have specialized medical training, do not try to treat someone else's injuries.
KEEP YOUR COOL AROUND THE OTHER DRIVER
Your emotions will be high and so with the other driver's. Regardless of who was at fault, an accident is a traumatic event for both drivers. Do not get out of your car and yell at the other driver. Nothing good will come from that. If the other driver gets out of his or her car and starts yelling at you, walk away from him (though not from the scene of the crash).
Other than checking to see if the other driver needs medical attention, you should take a moment to collect and calm yourself before talking to the other driver.
DO NOT APOLOGIZE FOR THE ACCIDENT
Whatever you do, do not apologize for the crash and do not say the crash was your fault. People have a powerful drive to get along. After a crash, you may want to placate the other driver, particularly if the person is angry. Don't. If you apologize or say that the accident was your fault or that you should have done something differently, you may be speaking based on your emotions more than the facts, you may be wrong, and you'll very likely eliminate any chance of winning a lawsuit against the other person. Just don't talk about who is to blame for the crash.
On the other hand, if the other driver apologizes to you, write it down. You should also record who else heard the other driver's statement. This can be powerful evidence in a lawsuit.
MAKE A RECORD OF WHAT HAPPENED
Information from the scene of the crash will be incredibly helpful later. You need to collect information from the other driver and from any eyewitnesses at the scene. Your ability to collect this information may be crucial to your case.
From the other driver, you should collect the driver's name, driver's license number, address, license plate number, make and model of his or her car, and the name of his insurance company and policy number. You should also take notes about how he looks. Is he drunk? Is he wearing glasses? Does he seem very tired? These are the kinds of things that can matter a lot later on.
From anyone else at the scene, try to collect their name and contact information, including their phone numbers and addresses. It may be that the eyewitnesses to the crash will never be able to be found again. You have but a few minutes to make sure they can be followed up with; you should use that time wisely. Also, do not assume that the police will interview them; the police can take several minutes to arrive and the witnesses may have already departed by the time the police come.
TALK TO THE POLICE
When the police arrive at the scene of your accident, talk to the police officer. The police will write a report about the accident and what happened. That crash will matter to an insurance company evaluating a claim later. Unless you have a concern that your conduct was a violation of the law (for example, because you'd been drinking before the crash), make sure the police officer hears your side of the story.
The police officer may ask if you've been injured. It is not the time to worry about appearing to be a hypochondriac. If you think you may have been injured, but aren't sure, tell that to the police officer.
Again, if you have any concerns about whether you've been injured and need urgent medical care, err on the side of asking for an ambulance.
Finally, you should make sure you get the police officer's name and any information necessary to get the police report later. Normally, this is the station the officer operates out of. The officer likely has a card that he can give you which has this information on it.
AFTER THE CRASH
In the days after the crash, you should write down what happened in the crash to the very best of your ability to remember. Include as many details as you can. These details will fade in your mind over time and you may lose them if you don't record them close to the time of the crash. You should also make sure you keep a log of your injuries and how your body is responding to the accident. Be sure to take this log with you when you see your doctor. Finally, make sure you see your doctor promptly to tend to your injuries.
by: Matt Kaiser
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