What to do Immediately

f you’re reading this, odds are that either you or a loved one has been injured as a result of a car accident. Car crash injuries range from soft tissue, whiplash-type injury to broken bones. That’s if the victim is lucky. Many car accident injuries are catastrophic and are often fatal.

If you or someone you love has been injured in a motor vehicle accident you have certain legal rights and there are things you should immediately do to protect those rights. This general information is provided by a car accident lawyer to help you if find yourself in the unfortunate situation of being involved in a car crash.

CAVEAT: However, before going further about what you should do at the scene, I must first qualify the following statements: Everything contained in this section assumes that you are physically able. As previously acknowledged, sadly some injuries suffered in a car crash render the occupants incapacitated. So read the following with this caveat in mind. Do not rely on this as legal advice as this is intended to provide general information only. You should always listen to your own car accident lawyer and listen to his or her advice.

AT THE SCENE: First and foremost, do a “self-assessment” as soon as possible. Are you bleeding; do you have obvious injuries or pain in any area of your body; does your head hurt? If so, wait for help. Any time we are injured, especially after an incident like a care accident, we instinctively do these types of physical self-assessments.

Second, if you are able, call 911 as soon as possible, not only for your own safety, but also for the safety of other motorists who happen upon the car crash. Almost without exception victims of car crashes have injuries that are not immediately obvious, so contacting emergency personnel is a must. Cooperate with the responding police officers and responding emergency medical technicians. Explain exactly how the car crash happened and where you are experiencing pain and discomfort. Follow their directions. They are there to help you.

Third, if an only if, you are in a safe area, and your physical condition is determined by emergency personnel to be stable, take a few pictures of the scene and the vehicles involved in the car crash. This is NOT NECESSARY, to win your personal injury car accident lawsuit. However, it you are able to provide pictures to your car accident lawyer, that is often helpful.

These general guidelines assume your car accident is more than a small fender bender, where no emergency personnel are required. That is obviously for you to determine at the scene. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on average, car accidents claim more than 30,000 American lives each year and hundreds of thousands of injuries are sustained annually. If you find yourself in the unfortunate situation of a car crash, following these general guidelines could help you with your personal injury lawsuit.