The First Four Things Your Should Do After Being In A Collision

Being in an auto accident can certainly be an extremely frightening experience. Even still, you need to keep your wits about you directly after a collision. What you do next can determine if your finances or even your health will take as much damage as your vehicle. Below are the first four things you should do directly after a collision.

Get Medical Attention

If there is any possibility that anyone in either vehicle involved in the crash was injured, the first thing you should do before anything else is call for an ambulance. According to IIHS.org, there are over 30,000 vehicle related deaths a year. However, with proper medical attention, lives can be saved. You should also keep in mind that the seriousness of some injures such as whiplash may not be immediately apparent. Play it safe and call 9-1-1 if needed.

Call the Police

Another thing you must absolutely do is call the police. If you don’t call the police, you will never obtain a police report regarding the accident. According to the DMV, you should be able to obtain the police report a week after the accident. This will insure that the other party involved in the accident won’t be able to lie or shift blame if the details of the accident are disputed.

Swap Insurance Information

To make sure you aren’t held liable for any damage, you must swap insurance information with the other driver. After doing so, call your insurance company immediately. If they aren’t made aware of the crash right away and aren’t able to contact the other driver’s insurance company to work out the details, there is a possibility you may be accountable for your own repair costs, medical costs and other costs related to the accident.

Contact an Attorney

Sometimes accidents result in lawsuits. This is for good reason too. Insurance may refuse to cover all the expenses related to an accident. The other driver may not have insurance and may have been acting negligently. In some cases car insurance may not be able to cover things like lost wages and pain and suffering, that is why it’s a good idea to seek help from an attorney such as those at Snyder & Wenner, P.C. . Sometimes, compensation for these has to be obtained in court.

Being involved in an accident can be very stressful. Even so, you must take the correct actions after an accident. Not doing so can have great ramifications for your health as well as your financial livelihood.