Car accidents can range from close calls to deeply devastating, life-changing events. Depending on the severity of an accident, you may be left frightened, injured or extremely hesitant to ever again operate a motor vehicle. While consistent attentiveness and defensive driving can often help prevent auto accidents, it’s still possible to find yourself involved in a vehicle mishap that’s completely outside of your control. So, if you’re ever the victim of someone else’s unsafe driving, heed the following pointers.
Don’t Leave the Scene
Even if you bear zero responsibility for the accident, leaving the scene is practically guaranteed to cast doubt on this – and possibly even land you in legal hot water. As such, make a point of pulling into the nearest safe area and contacting the police and, if need be, calling for an ambulance. Being on the scene when the police and paramedics arrive ensures that you’ll be able to share your version of events with authorities as quickly as possible. Telling your story while the various details of the incident are still fresh in your mind can be very helpful to the officer(s) in charge of writing up an accident report, as well as your auto insurance provider.
Document Any Damages or Injuries
Provided you’re physically able to do so, carefully survey your vehicle for signs of damage and photograph any that you come across. Getting photos of the damage immediately after the accident will help ensure that both the police and your insurance provider are able to form a solid understanding of the scope of the accident. Similarly, if you or any of your passengers incur any injuries as a result of the accident, take care to document these, as well. Of course, if photographing certain injuries stands to exacerbate them, you’d best wait for the ambulance to arrive. In the case of certain injuries, moving the victims stands to cause even more damage, so when dealing with seriously injured passengers, it’s generally recommended that you wait for paramedics to show up.
Exchange Information with the Other Party
Provided everyone’s okay, make an effort to exchange insurance and contact info with the other party. However, if this person adopts an angry and/or combative attitude, simply wait for the police to arrive instead of trying to engage them. You’ve already been endangered by this person’s poor driving – the last thing you want is to invite even more conflict. If the other party absolutely refuses to provide their information, simply inform the police of this when they arrive at the scene. They’ll be able to obtain the info you seek, thus saving you the trouble of having to interact with this person any further.
Avoid Flying off the Handle
Just as you should avoid the other party if they’re angry or combative, so too should you avoid engaging in such behavior. If the responsible party placed you and your passengers in danger or caused massive damage to your vehicle, it’s only natural that you’d be experiencing intense feelings of anger and frustration. Still, attempting to confront the other party is always a bad idea. In the immediate aftermath of such an event, tensions tend to run hot – and even if you bear no fault for the accident, you may find yourself in legal trouble if you choose to fly off the handle.
Seek Out a Good Attorney
If the responsible party, their insurance company or your insurer refuses to pay for damages to your vehicle and/or medical costs in the wake of an accident, don’t hesitate to seek out a good attorney. Additionally, if one of your passengers was killed as a result of the other party’s recklessness, you may want to look into filing a wrongful death suit. Twin Cities residents who have found themselves in such a situation should get in touch with knowledgeable Minneapolis wrongful death attorneys.
A single car accident has the power to alter your life in a matter of seconds. Although defensive driving and a lack of distractions can do you a world of good behind the wheel, there’s always a chance that you’ll be victimized by someone else’s unsafe driving. While there’s no question that auto accidents themselves are deeply frightening events, the immediate aftermath of an accident can prove every bit as scary and stressful. As such, should you ever find yourself wrapped up in a car accident, remember the measures discussed above.
