Being involved in an auto-accident, regardless of who is to blame, is always a terribly unfortunate situation to endure. After the accident, there are a few important steps one must take in order to ensure that the accident itself is the worst part of the entire ordeal. These steps are essential to ensure that the accident is handled in a way where one is legally correct and least likely to incur any additional woes, whether personal, legal, or financial.
1) Stay Calm.
It is essential that after an accident, one takes a brief moment to collect oneself. Accidents are extremely stressful both emotionally and physically. After the accident, one’s actions can determine a number of things that range from how the case is handled in court to how the other party deals with you during the time of the accident and during the time after. Staying calm, or at least collecting oneself, is also the best course of action for maintaining one’s health, both mental and physical.
2) Secure your surroundings
The scene of an accident is not a safe place to be. In many cases, the accident occurs on roads that are prone to medium to heavy traffic levels. When one finds himself in an accident, one of the most important things to do is to assess the surroundings and determine what can be done to make them safer. Whether it’s moving the cars to the side of the road or opening the hood of the car, one should always be sure that the area is the safest it can possibly be. If you feel the surrounding area is too dangerous to stay in, leave immediately with the other driver/drivers to a place that is safe.
3) Call the police
This is a step that some people do not think is necessary if the police do not arrive to the scene automatically or if the accident is a small one. Generally, both parties should use proper discretion in deciding to call the police. The police will file a report that will become an important document in regard to legal implications.
4) Exchange Information
No matter what type of accident one is involved in, information should always be disclosed between both parties involved. The encompassing list of information that should be collected and exchanged includes the name, address, phone number, insurance company, policy number, driver license number and license plate number for the driver and the owner of each vehicle.
5) Photograph and document
In order to have proof of what transpired and the effects of the accident itself, it is important that one photographs the scene of the accident. If there are witnesses to the accident, it is a very good idea to gain their testimonial in order to have additional sources of proof.