After an auto crash, what should you do to boost your chances of getting a just settlement? When it occurs, your emotions may run high, and personal injuries may be severe. Luckily, this article explores the important things you need to do at the scene and soon after a car accident occurs.
Navigating through each of these steps requires knowledge and experience in the personal injury legal field, meaning if you aren’t an expert, you’ll find it challenging to get a positive result. So, what should you do first to ensure you’re getting everything right?
First things first, find the perfect car accident lawyer in Atlanta, seek proper medical care, preserve enough evidence, and protect your legal rights. The best part is that an experienced car accident attorney can help you go through all these things as you concentrate on your recovery.
Here are the first things you need to do at the scene and soon after the accident.
Things to Do at the Accident Scene
Get Calm
You may feel a vast array of emotions immediately after a car accident. Anger, nervousness, fear, guilt, and shock. All these emotions are common and normal after an accident. You need to ensure you remain as calm as possible. Take a few deep breaths to calm down.
The calmer you’re, the better prepared you’ll be to complete your journey to fair compensation. This is the time you need to take stock of the car crash and try to make some judgment about whether it caused serious damage.
Keep Yourself and Others Safe
Can you get out of your vehicle? If it is not possible or safe to try, ensure you fasten your seatbelt and turn on your hazard lights. Call the police if possible. Stay calm as you wait for help. Is the crash minor? Turn off your vehicle and grab the emergency kit.
Is it safe to get out of your car and move around? Set up warning triangles, orange cones, or crisis flares around the scene. Are there no injuries, and your car is driveable? Move it to a safe spot that isn’t blocking the traffic. You can move it to a parking lot or the shoulder of the highway.
In some states, it’s illegal to move your vehicle from the accident scene. If you already have the perfect car accident lawyer, you can ask them to know if you’re allowed to move your car from the scene in Atlanta. An experienced lawyer will guide you professionally to ensure you follow the path to just compensation.
Check for Any Injuries and Report the Car Accident
Depending on the nature of the accident, check on everyone involved to see if they’ve any serious injuries. Remember, this is only possible if you aren’t severely injured. Once you are sure your injuries aren’t serious, try to help those involved. But be extremely cautious since not all injuries can be noticeable.
After that, report the incident. As you call the police, ensure you can answer some basic questions like who, what, and where. Be ready to provide your name and phone number, explain the type of accident, and give details of the place, such as the city, road number, road name, mile markings, and anything that can help the police know how to reach the scene.
Gather Valuable Evidence
It’s vital to collect valuable evidence before leaving the scene. Take down driver details. Ask to see the license of the other driver involved. Take down their license numbers. Get their address, name, insurance policy number, license plate number, and more. Get the owner’s information if the car doesn’t belong to the other driver. Take some photos and videos and write down details of the accident.
The Aftermath
The accident itself might be upsetting. But dealing with the aftermath is another mountain to climb. In the hours or days following the crash, some individuals may still be shaken up. They may be questioning and beating themselves up over what took place, especially when they feel the incident was avoidable. These feelings are normal.
After some time, you’ll realize that your car needs to be repaired or replaced, the insurance firms need to be dealt with, and you must ensure that you’re receiving high-quality medical care. In some cases, these feelings and tasks can get stronger and more overwhelming or last for years. This may keep you away from your normal life.
Posttraumatic stress disorder can take place after a devastating event. It may show up immediately following the accident, weeks, or even several months after. All these problems require you to find lasting solutions for.
The best thing to do is to find the perfect car accident lawyer in Atlanta. A perfect attorney will ensure you receive the right medical care and peace of mind. As you concentrate on your recovery, the lawyer will be working on a path to success. The lawyer will negotiate with insurers and even represent you in court to ensure you get fair reimbursement.
