Car crashes are not pleasant. It doesn’t take a genius to figure that out. If you’ve never been in a car accident, count yourself lucky. They can be very tough to deal with even if it isn’t your first. Emotionally they can be wrecking. Physically they can be painful. Unless your car is built like a tank, it’ll likely see a lot of damage too. To help understand what to do in the event of a crash, we’ve put together a survival guide. It’ll give you the basics on what to do in the event of a crash. Read on for more details.
Are You Okay?
You need to ask this question of yourself and any of your passengers. Don’t concern yourself with other vehicles for the moment. You need to make sure if you or any of your passengers are immediately injured. Injuries may not be apparent at first. Some auto-accident injuries like whiplash can develop hours after a crash. Other injuries like cuts, breaks, and bruises may not be readily apparent to you either. Always check yourself and others before doing anything else. If you are injured in a crash, you need to contact legal representation like Morris, King & Hodge, P.C. Auto Injury Lawyer. A law firm that specializes in injury law should be able to understand your case fully.
Stay Calm
Car accidents can be very emotional. You might feel a range of emotions from anger, to fear, and many others. You need to get control of yourself before you do anything else. Outbursts of emotion don’t help in these situations. If you feel like an emotional outburst may happen, take a minute to yourself. Count backwards from ten until you feel calm enough to continue.
Stay Safe
If you had an auto accident on a busy road, don’t step out of the car carelessly. Traffic may be backing up or slowing down, but there’s still a chance you could get hit. Make sure it’s safe to step out before you do. Then, make your way somewhere safer near the side of the road.
Be Careful What You Say
When speaking to the other driver be sure to keep it formal. They may ask you if you are okay. Don’t take it as a sign of concern. Be cautious about their wording. Things you say here may be used against you if the case goes to court. Saying you are okay when you may later complain of injury might lose you the case. Try and exchange details and leave it at that.
Recover
Auto accidents are shocking at the best of times and traumatizing at the worst. You’re going to need to take some time to recover whether you are injured or not. In some cases, people will have nightmares and flashbacks to their crash. If you are struggling to recover mentally from your crash, see a professional.
Repairs
You’ll likely still need the use of a car for practical reasons. Be sure to get the car fixed after insurance details have been swapped. The sooner you get it done, the quicker it will be over. If the repairs take some time, try and make alternative travel arrangements.