A car accident can certainly rattle you. It may cause you not to think clearly and be unsure about what to do. Knowing what to do helps you calm down a bit so that you won’t make haste decisions that you can regret later on. Even if you are a very careful driver, we can’t say that for everyone who owns and drives a vehicle.
Whether you are injured or not because of the accident, it can still be a frustrating situation. Knowing which to prioritize and immediately do can lessen the frustration because you know that you’ve done what you have to do at that moment.
With that in mind, here are the step we recommend any crash victim should take immediately after a car accident…
Check For Injuries And Assess The Situation
The first thing to check when you’ve just been through a car accident is you and your passenger’s health. Assess whether you or your passengers are hurt. After that, don’t forget to assess the situation too. Do you smell smoke? Is there any additional threat to stay in the vehicle?
Get Out Of Traffic And Make The Calls
If you find that everyone is okay and can move out of the car, it would be best to get out of traffic. However, before you leave the vehicle, turn your hazard lights on so that the other drivers can still see your car and not cause more accidents. Walk over to the sidewalk or the side of the road and call for emergency medical services. Also, call the police even if it is a minor crash. There are states that will require drivers to report any accident on the road.
Another call should be made to your insurance company to inform them about the accident. This helps start the claims process right away. You should also call your trusted towing company or else the police would call a towing company for you to get the car out of the way. If you don’t specify a towing company to work with and a shop to take your car, then you can end up paying a lot because of transferring your car from one area to another.
Collect Important Information
Ask the other party involved information such as the driver’s name, address, contact number, the insurance company they work with, their policy number, and take note of their plate number. You should also provide them with such information. It is also best to note names and contact info of witnesses.
Keep Your Cool
Don’t play the blame game. It’s understandable that emotions are high but try to calm down. Let your insurance companies and attorneys figure out who is liable. They can sort things out. The important thing that you should do here is to be able to exchange information and that would be easier if you keep your cool.
Take Photos
Take photos of your car from different angles and photos of the other car as well. You can take pictures focusing on the damage as well as the crash scene. Skid marks and road hazards should also be photographed because they provide evidence of what happened.
Get Your Car Ready For Towing
If all documentation is gathered and everyone is set, your car can now be towed. Make sure that you remove your valuables in the car or anything important that you need. It can take several days before you can get to your car again so make sure you don’t leave anything valuable in it.
If you need a professional roadside assistance service to handle an accident, look no further than Cincinnati’s own One-Click Towing Company…
