Hopefully, you’re reading this ahead of your first car accident and not while in an urgent care waiting room. Your first car accident is traumatic and can be quite disastrous because you have no idea what’s going on. People may have told you to make sure that you collect insurance, vehicle information, and call a car accident lawyer, and get a but what about everything else?
As the driver’s education has died down most new drivers, don’t know what to do. Don’t worry, this short guide for the things that people wished they knew before their first crash can help you.
Be Prepared
Have a pencil and paper in your glove compartment. You’ll need something to write on to exchange information. Many people aren’t comfortable with you taking pictures of their driver’s license or insurance card and would rather you write the information down.
Police will often, but not always respond to a crash. In 2018, Ohio police assisted over 124,000 motorists. Plan on interacting with a police officer after your first crash.
Pull Over
Despite what friends or family may have told you, you have to pull over as soon as possible. If you aren’t comfortable pulling over, then you need to dial 911 and explain why you’re leaving the scene of a crash. The emergency operator will likely urge you not to leave the scene.
Ohio requires drivers to pull over to the shoulder as soon as it is safe. If your car is unable to move, then you need to put on your emergency lights and contact emergency services.
If you don’t feel safe because of the other driver, stay put and contact emergency services. They will be able to dispatch an officer to the scene to deal with the other driver involved.
Get Checked Out by A Doctor
Even if you don’t feel hurt at the time, you need to see someone. Most insurance policies will have a 72-hour window for injuries, and you need to work within that time frame. If an emergency responder suggests that you go to the hospital, listen to them. Take the ride to the hospital and worry about the financial end of recovery later.
In the event that you don’t need to go to the doctor, you have two options. You can either head over to an Urgent Care center or schedule an appointment with your doctor. It’s likely that either will be able to see you although you may miss work or time spent at home waiting.
Many injuries from car accidents don’t surface right away, and some can be downright hard to diagnose. But if you make an effort to seek medical attention right away, you’re showing that you did the right thing. If a medical diagnosis surfaces months later and has an association with the crash, you can show that you did not wait for symptoms to emerge.
Don’t Cause More Accidents Because Of One.
Many crashes happen one right after another because of visibility issues. If you are having trouble seeing, you need to decrease your speed. Additionally, you should be on the watch for accidents in bad weather. If your first crash happens because you were staring down, someone else pulled off to the side of the road then there’s an issue of distraction at play.
Rubbernecking, not adjusting to road conditions, and interacting with others in the car often causes one accident to lead to another. If you were the one in the wreck, then be sure to move through the process quickly and inform police if you’re on a busy road. If your crash impedes traffic, then contact emergency services for help in controlling traffic safely.
Contact Someone for Legal Help
Too often people accept minimalized settlements from insurance companies because they feel it’s all they can get. That’s not true. Attorneys are available to help victims of car accidents, and they often work on very affordable contracts. Getting legal advice can help you recover the full amount of compensation possible.
Ohio Car Accident Lawyers helps the victims of car accidents through every step of recovery. From working with insurance companies to making demands, you can count on this team of attorneys to fight for your right to fair compensation.
After your first car accident, it might seem like everyone is telling you what to do. Take charge and find someone who handles car accidents for a living. As car accident attorneys, this team has seen it all, and they’ll know how to help you through your first crash best.