Car accidents have the potential to be devastating. Even if you’re in a modern vehicle, equipped with safety features like crumpling frames, airbags, and effective seatbelts, you can still be seriously injured – or even killed – if a car hits you in the right way at the right time.
If you’ve been injured in a car accident, there are several important steps you’ll need to take, both in the short-term and in the long-term, to maximize your chances of a speedy recovery.
What to Do Immediately
In the immediate aftermath of the car accident, these are the most important steps to take:
· Stay calm. Car accidents tend to be chaotic and scary. In the wake of the impact, you’ll likely feel a mix of surprise, fear, and anger as adrenaline rushes through your body. Your emotions might cause you to act irrationally if you aren’t careful, so it’s important to try and remain as calm as possible. Take a deep breath, focus on the things in your immediate environment, and think through your actions before taking them. You don’t want to make this situation worse by, say, fleeing the scene or assaulting the other driver.
· Get to a safe place. You might already be injured, but you’ll risk further injury and death if you remain in a high-traffic area. There are countless cases of people who have survived one car accident only to be involved in another that occurs because of the debris and confusion in the road. Get to safety as soon as possible; depending on where the accident occurred, that could mean traveling to the sidewalk, getting behind a barrier, or moving off to the side.
· Contact emergency services. Next, contact emergency services. You may not feel much pain or you may not notice any glaring injuries as a result of the accident, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that no damage was done ? especially if a combination of adrenaline and shock is masking your pain. It’s best to go to a local hospital and get checked out by a physician, just to be sure.
· Help others. While waiting for emergency services, it may be a good idea to help others in need. If there are people who need help moving to safety, provide them assistance if you can. There are a few exceptions to this rule, however. For example, you shouldn’t try to move someone who may be at risk of spinal injury. Additionally, it may not be wise to help someone if it means putting your own life in jeopardy.
· Collect evidence (if you can do so safely). If you can do so safely, take the time to collect evidence from the accident scene. Photos and videos of the aftermath of the collision may help your legal case in the future or help you get the insurance payout you deserve. It may also be a good idea to track down eyewitnesses who saw the accident unfold firsthand.
· File a police report. In most countries, it’s a good idea to file a formal police report about the accident, even if you and the other driver are in agreement of how it went down. This will serve as an official record of events, and can help you solidify your case (while preventing the other driver from changing their story later on).
After the Accident
After you’ve called emergency services and filed a police report, you should follow these steps:
· Get medical treatment. Hopefully, you’ve already been to the hospital and gotten immediate treatment. If not, it’s important to make a doctor’s appointment and monitor your own physical health. How do you feel the next morning? What are your post-crash evaluations like?
· Follow all medical advice (and document it). It’s also important to follow any and all medical advice that’s given to you. If you’re prescribed medication, take it. If you’re not supposed to work, don’t work. If you need to go to physical therapy, attend those sessions. Otherwise, you could delay your recovery and complicate your settlement payments.
· Talk to a lawyer. Finally, it’s a good idea to talk to a lawyer. If it’s a straightforward case and you’re not seriously injured, you might want to take whatever reimbursement the insurance company is willing to give you ? but in some cases, it’s worth fighting for more compensation.
Being in a car accident can leave you physically hurt and mentally traumatized for years to come ? but you can mitigate the damage and win the compensation you deserve if you approach the situation responsibly. Do your best to remain calm and logical throughout the process, and do whatever you can to put yourself in a better position long-term.
