Back in 2019, there were 33,244 total fatal motor crashes that took place in the United States, which comes out to an alarming 11 deaths per 100,000 people.
In a perfect world, you’d never have to worry about being in a severe car accident. Sadly, the reality is that one could happen within a matter of seconds. It’s better to be prepared for what to do if a severe car accident were to happen. That way, you can protect yourself in the immediate and far future.
See below for an in-depth guide on what to do if you’ve been involved in a severe car accident, starting from seconds after the crash occurred.
1. Collect Your Bearings and Check for Injuries
If you’re involved in a severe car accident, then the first thing you should always do is turn off the car to ensure that the engine is off.
Once that’s done, take a moment to collect yourself. It isn’t uncommon for drivers to go into a state of shock or even blackout. Gather your bearings and try to slow your breathing as much as possible.
After you feel like your head is in a good place, check yourself for injuries. Make sure you can move all your body parts and can avoid any shrapnel or glass around you. Once you’ve checked yourself, check on the other passengers in the car (if applicable).
Next, you’ll want to remove yourself and all of your passengers from the car to prevent further danger. It isn’t uncommon for a third car to become involved in a wreck due to them not paying attention.
If anyone is seriously hurt, try to help them get out of the vehicle without endangering yourself. Try to get out of the vehicle with urgency, but take as much time as needed to reduce the chance of worsening an injury.
2. Get to Safety
After you and all of your passengers are out of the car, it’s time to check on the other parties involved in the accident.
The hope is that they’ll already be out of the vehicle, but there’s a chance that they’re unable to move or are unconscious. Try to help them out of their car if you can, but again, make sure you aren’t endangering your own life in the process.
Once all parties are outside their vehicles, it’s time to get to safety. If the vehicles are in the middle of the road, leave them and safely make your way to the side of the road. As soon as you get to the side, pull out your phone and call 911.
Communicate the severity of the car accident to the operator and make sure that they send medical assistance to you as well.
The operator will send local authorities to your location to gather a police report and tend to everyone’s health.
While you wait for them to arrive, there are two things you could do. If the situation is mild, then you could begin to exchange information with the other driver. If the crash was severe, then just try to keep everyone calm until the police arrive. Let them separate it from there.
3. Stay Calm and Tell Your Side
Understandably, your emotions would be running high after a severe car accident. The adrenaline starts pumping and some people let their emotions get the best of them.
However, letting a temper flare can have ramifications down the line. To protect your case, make sure that you follow all of the police officer’s instructions, show respect, and tell your side of the story to the officer.
Even if the other party is hysterical and pointing fingers at you, the truth will unfold in time. There will be other witnesses that stay behind to tell their side. This will help the officer to get a firm understanding of what happened and write an accurate report from there.
4. Collect Evidence
Contrary to popular belief, it isn’t just your lawyer’s job to collect evidence for your case. In fact, there are some pieces of evidence you’ll never be able to get if you don’t collect them while you’re still at the scene.
Once you’ve given your side of the police report, it’s time to shift your focus to collecting as much evidence as possible.
Take out your phone and get as many photos as possible. Take photos of your car, their car, their license plate, the other parties involved, the road you’re on, any injuries you sustained, and so on.
Also, make sure to talk to each witness that hangs around and get their name, number, email, and a summary of what they saw. Your lawyer can contact them later.
5. Hire an Attorney
After you leave the scene, it’s time to start thinking about your future. Whether the accident was your fault or not, you need to hire a trusted car accident attorney to build your case.
Make sure to reach out to a lawyer like for instance Kansas city car accident lawyer as soon as possible to tell them about your side of the story. They’ll keep an open ear and write down key details as you mention them.
Once you’re finished, they’ll go right to work on building your case. They can use their extensive resources and network to compile useful evidence.
Follow These Tips If You’re Ever in a Severe Car Accident
Now that you have seen an in-depth guide on the steps to take if you’re ever involved in a severe car accident, be sure to use this information to your advantage.
Start with the first step. Get yourself in the right frame of mind and make sure that you’re physically able to follow the rest of this article.
Be sure to browse our website for more articles on severe car accidents, as well as other topics that you will enjoy.
