Car accidents can be scary, especially when dealing with each of the steps necessary to pull your life back together. Many people walk away from a crash with no idea how to care for their passengers, vehicles, or even themselves, leading to possible legal, financial, and health issues later. This step-by-step guide is designed to help you take care of yourself and stay on track during and after an accident.
Step 1: Don’t Panic
Even though it is extremely difficult to do, it is essential to keep calm during and after a crash. Getting emotional can stir up your body’s defense mechanisms and release adrenaline, which will make it harder for you to feel the full extent of your injuries. Elevated stress can make communication with others involved in the accident, the police, and your insurance company difficult and unnecessarily strained. Panicking can also lead to you possibly making erroneous statements, such as under-estimating the damage to your car, and can lead to potential hassles for you later.
Step 2: Call the Police
You should always call the police or highway patrol to the scene of the crash, even if it is a minor fender-bender. Law enforcement officers are trained to record the proper information for you and anyone else involved for insurance and legal purposes. They can also determine fault, which is not always as clear-cut as you may think. Things will run smoother for you in the long run if you have a police report available to hand to the insurance company.
Step 3: Call your Insurance Company
When involved in an accident it may become difficult to think clearly, so it is important to call your insurance company as soon as you can using the 800-number on your insurance slip. Calling while still at the scene of the accident can also help your insurance representative get vital information from the responding officer, as well as allowing you to get quick information on auto-body shops and a rental car. You should reserve all of your discussions about the accident only for your insurance representative and the responding police officer – do not admit liability, fault, or speak about your physical well being unless you are in need of immediate medical assistance.
Step 4: Write it Down
The shock of being involved in a car accident can make things difficult to remember clearly. Some information may be requested of you on a much later date when the details may be difficult to recall, so be sure to write all pertinent information down. Here’s a list of information you should keep:
a. The other driver’s name, driver’s license number, address, and phone
number. Make sure you see their license and copy down the information yourself if you can.
b. The other vehicle’s registered owner’s name, insurance name and policy number, make, model, license plate number and VIN (Vehicle Identification Number, usually located on the driver’s side of the dashboard right below the windshield).
c. The responding officer’s name and the incident report number.
d. The name of the insurance representative you talked to when reporting your accident and your insurance claim reference number.
e. A step-by-step log of the accident as you experienced it.
While recording all of this information may seem tedious and pointless it will essentially help you avoid future hassles.
Step 5: Seek Medical Attention
This step is one of the most vital steps for your personal well-being. If you are feeling unusual discomfort, have any open wounds, are pregnant, or have small children in the car seek medical attention immediately, either by presenting yourself to the ER or calling for an ambulance. However, even if you are not feeling immediate discomfort you should still check in with a medical professional. The potential health issues that stem from car accident can sometimes take weeks to manifest into recognizable pain, by which time you may not even associate your injury with the crash. We recommend seeing a medical professional with a musculo-skeletal specialty, particularly a Chiropractor or Orthopedic Doctor. You may also see your Primary Care Physician, Physical Therapist, Licensed Massage Therapist, or any other medical professional you feel comfortable contacting. For more detailed information on how auto insurance and medical treatment work please click on Medical Treatment.
Step 6: Call an Auto-Body Shop
While it is vitally important to have a medical professional check your health it is equally important to have an automotive professional check your car. Even a minor accident can cause serious damage to a vehicle, which in turn can put your life and the lives of your passengers at risk if you continue to drive it. Some insurance companies have specific rules and time constraints when it comes to auto repair, so check with an insurance representative to make sure you are following the correct procedure. Here is a list of questions to ask the auto-body shop:
a. Do you work with ________ insurance? (state the name of your auto insurance company, ie – Mercury, Travelers, Geico, etc.)
b. Do you work with ________ cars (state the make of your car, ie – Honda, Volkswagen, Ford, etc.)
c. When can I bring/tow in my car?
d. Will you be contacting me or my insurance company about damages?
It is important to use your personal auto insurance for your car’s repair; you are paying your auto insurance to help you out in a situation like this so give them a chance to do so. For more detailed information on auto insurance and car repair work please click on Your Insurance.
Step 7: Call a Personal Injury Lawyer
While popular media has made lawyers out to be undesirable and problematic the truth is that hiring a personal injury lawyer can make the legal process smooth and easy. They can assist you in settling your medical bills, dealing with the other driver’s insurance company, and dealing with loss of income and personal property. Most lawyers work on a contingency fee, meaning that they will not charge you any money unless you receive money yourself. Most importantly, hiring a lawyer does not mean you will be involved in a law suit! Hiring a lawyer is a way for you to get your financial and legal needs met in a professional and efficient manner during a troubling time. For more information on obtaining legal counsel please click on Finding a Lawyer.
