It is a grim fact that no matter how much training and experience drivers have, they are more likely than not to be involved in an automobile accident at some time in their lives. There are steps that you can take, however, to better prepare yourself.
Above all, it is paramount to keep a calm head when processing what needs to be accomplished in the moments after an accident. Simply panicking will only serve to make a terrible situation worse for you and those around you.
What Should Be Done After The Accident The first step after any accident is to assess your health. You can begin to run through a checklist in your head:
Can I move my feet, legs, hands, or arms without feeling pain?
Do I feel dizzy or nauseous?
Can I physically identify any open wounds or abrasions?
It is important to note that if you feel dizzy or nauseous and cannot feel parts of your body to stay put and wait for help to arrive. It is best to wait for professional help to arrive unless it is absolutely unsafe for you to stay in the wrecked vehicle.
Gathering Information If you have a cell phone that takes photos or a camera handy, it would be a good idea to take photos of the scene. Some places to focus your lenses are:
The point of impact
The approach to the accident
Any damage that was sustained to the vehicles involved
Any skid marks on the ground
If there are any witnesses, make sure to take down their information and to gather any details that you can from them in the moments after the crash. After you have compiled information from photos and witness accounts, it is best to begin writing a narrative of your accident as quickly as possible. That way, less details are lost to time and forgetfulness.
A final step that needs to be taken is an account of your injuries. This account should not just happen the day of the accident, but also on the days following the accident, because some injuries may not manifest themselves until days or weeks later.
We Are Here to Help If you or someone you know has been injured in a car accident, you should contact one of our experienced Los Angeles personal injury attorneys at Steinberg & Spencer Injury Lawyers at (800) 989-6385.
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