Pablo Luna
At the time of a catastrophe, most people don’t really know what to do, with the exception of a few who are mentally prepared. When a car crash happens, there isn’t enough time to figure out how to act or what to do next. The time you waste thinking and rethinking each step is time you can better spend acting. Especially if you happen to have other passengers with you in the car that you’d want to comfort and make sure are safe. We don’t want you to worry though, because we have created a checklist to help you understand how to act and prepare for the worst.
1. Check For Injuries
If you get involved in a car crash, the first thing you have to do is make sure that you and your family or any passengers in the car with you are not seriously injured. Comfort children if you happen to have any with you in the car, as their fear will only add to your stress and render you unable to act logically. It would be better if you start now and teach your children how to call for help in emergency situations; this will come in handy in case it is you that is seriously injured and they have to call for help.
2. Call The Ambulance and Police
Regardless of whether you think the injuries are severe or not, call the police. If the injuries are serious they will send you an ambulance right away to help you. Till the ambulance arrives, the injured person should not be moved under any circumstance, as you may just end up doing more harm. Even if the injuries are mild, calling them is important because you’ll be able to have documentation. This is something that you will need later on.
3. Take Pictures
In case you and the other passengers are not injured, take pictures of the whole scene. In every accident, someone is to blame and has to pay for the damages. You will not be able to prove that your car has been harmed unless you provide pictures as proof. Take as many pictures as you can of the whole scene and not just of the car, and keep them on your phone.
4. Hire An Attorney
Having legal representation is very important in situations like these but waiting until the incident happens to start thinking about who to hire would be a total waste of time. Professional and trained lawyers know how to represent victims of fatal traffic accidents and they will even provide you with free consultations. Do not hire someone in a rush and regret it later when it is too late. Know who to go to now and be better prepared.
5. Properly Store All Your Medical Documents
In case you had to go to the hospital for major or minor injuries, make sure you keep all the documents and receipts. These documents might be needed as proof in case you need to go to court and claim your rights. Make sure you store them properly and don’t leave them lying around. Most of us are not used to keeping hard copies anymore but until the whole world goes paperless we have to learn how to store both digital and non-digital forms of our documents.
6. Gather Contact Information Of All Witnesses
Try to gather the phone numbers of some or all of those who have witnessed the incident. Again, in case you decide to claim your legal rights you will need people to be on your side and testify against whoever caused the crash.
7. Notify Your Insurance Company
Send the pictures of the damage to your car to your insurance company as soon as you get the chance. You have to start the claim process right away and get your car repaired. The company will send someone to estimate the losses and finalize who was at fault. They might ask for the opinion of a repair shop as an expert testament to estimate the amount needed for repairs. Then they let you know how much they will pay.
No matter how careful we are, bad things still happen. We can be involved in a car accident even if we follow all the rules and respect them. All we have to do is to be as prepared as we can be and hope for the best. Sometimes being prepared can help us a lot and save us time, money, and effort. Acting under pressure almost always leads to uncalculated moves that you will regret later and wish you have done the opposite. Knowing what to do puts you on top of the situation and gives you confidence in your ability to act under stress.
