What You Need to do After you Have Been in a Car Accident

This is probably one of the most important articles we’re bringing to you simply because you never really know when it’s going to happen, however you always must be prepared for a car accident.

Car accidents just happen. There’s no prelude, no warning, sometimes they just happen out of the blue, nobody wants to cause them on purpose or be part of one, however we as drivers and part of the life on road, must be prepared at all times to properly react for ours and everyone else’s sake.

Let’s start by order of severity with the most important information first.

Accident Level — Severe

In this scenario the accident is severe, meaning there might be casualties, let’s say you have just been rear ended by someone who in their own car has been rear ended as well by a cistern truck.

Check Yourself

First — check yourself — you can’t help others if you’re not well yourself. What to check for? Nose/ears bleeding — a sign of head injury, breathing — checking to see if you have any broken ribs as a result of your seatbelt holding you, can you smile/stick your tongue out — check for any brain injury.

Alert the Authorities

After you’ve checked yourself, it’s time to call the emergency services and report the accident — make sure you start with your name and location, explain the situation and that you are not sure if the other people are okay too, always make sure to report the cistern truck — what kind is it, there is a number plate on the front and back, dictate that over the phone because if the load is dangerous, emergency services need to attend the scene in order to clean it properly as well.

Check Others and Who to Assist

After you’ve alerted the authorities, move on to the rest of the cars. Let’s say a family of three is in the other car, the person on the steering wheel seems unresponsive, the woman next to him seems to be barely awake and a child in the back is crying. Where do you start with this? It’s always hard to think straight in these situations and your first instinct might be to get the child, but keep in mind — always act in order of severity — the child is crying, therefore it’s alive, ok, and breathing, although scared.

The woman is barely awake, but she is awake, however the man in the steering wheel is unresponsive. Open the door, do not move him — if there are head/spinal injuries this is crucial for the person — check their breathing, only if they are not breathing, then proceed with performing CPR until first responders appear, then check on everybody else. Approach the truck to check on the driver only after you’ve made sure it’s safe!

The Rationale to This Approach

This might seem to be a bit of an egotistical method, but it’s proven to be most effective in saving people in many situations. It’s hard to keep cool in these situations, and it helps to be prepared in case something happens.

What About the Less Severe Situations 

What do we mean by “less severe”? Let’s say it’s just a bump or a grind of one or more vehicles, someone has a few scratches or a bloody nose. Of course, you start by checking yourself, sometimes a heavier bump on just the wrong spot can do the world of bad for you, so better safe than sorry.  After you’ve checked yourself and others, the emergency services should be alerted immediately, and make sure you mention that nobody is in physical danger, just a few scrapes and bruises.

Contact the Police

The more annoying thing in this situation is getting the documentation settled between everybody involved. To do that, in most countries there needs to be a police officer present that will give everybody an alcohol test and, if needed, a drug test. If needed, meaning that if the authorities see behaviour that is unusual or suspicious, they can order a drug test to also be done on someone.

Alcohol Testing

The alcohol test is usually a breathalyser, meaning that the officer will make you blow into a little device that will detect any alcohol molecules, if they are there. After everybody’s gone through the breathalyser test, you’ll need to fill out some paperwork.

Paperwork

Usually, your insurance company provides you with a claim form for you to complete with details regarding the accident.   Once you have completed the necessary paperwork, the insurance company will investigate the accident and determine who was at fault. Your insurance company will then pay for the repairs to your motor vehicle and if necessary, seek reimbursement from the at-fault driver or from the at-fault drivers insurance company.

Legal Assistance

If you are injured in a car accident lawyers Brisbane in Western Australia and somebody else was at fault you should make a claim to the Insurance Commission of WA for compensation for your losses.  It is often a good idea to seek assistance with you claim from a motor vehicle accident injury lawyer Perth.  You will find that they have knowledge and expertise to guide you through the claims process.

To Conclude

It is good to know what you should do in the aftermath of a motor vehicle accident, not just so that you can be prepared, but also so that you will have peace of mind when driving on the road. In the event that you are involved in a car accident follow this guide to help you through the process.  Remember to deal with the health and safety of the people involved first, contact emergency services, make insurance claims and if required, seek legal assistance.  Please take care when driving on our roads so as to keep yourself and your passengers safe by avoiding car accidents.