What To
Do When In An Automobile Accident
by: Granny's Mettle
In 2002, there were an estimated 6.3 million car accidents in the United
States. About 2.9 million injuries and 42,815 people were reported
killed in auto accidents.
Every year, the rates are increasing. More and more, people are getting
injured, if not killed, from automobile accidents.
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If you are in an auto
accident involving injury
or substantial damage to property, stay
at the scene of the accident until the police arrive and tell you that
you can leave. There are laws requiring people involved to stay put and
wait for the police to arrive and investigate. Leaving the scene of the
accident can get your license revoked, or worse, your behavior can
result to criminal charges.
Protect the injured.
If you are trained in providing first aid, administer if somebody is
injured. However, it is important to remember never to move an injured
person. Moving him/her may result to further damage. Ask for somebody to
contact the police and report the incident. The person to contact the
police should inform that people are injured, and if possible, the
number of persons injured so that there will be enough emergency
personnel to respond to the accident. If the accident occurred on the
roadway, turn on your flashers, or use flares to warn approaching
traffic of the accident.
Get information.
In any accident, it is important to get information that you will use
later on, especially during your insurance claim. The following are the
information you should know:
The other driver's name, address, driver's license number, insurance
information, and license plate number.
If there are witnesses, get their names, addresses, and telephone
numbers.
Ask for a business card from the police officer who investigated the
traffic scene. Also get the "incident number" so that you can obtain an
accident report. Most officers will provide you with the information
even if you don't ask.
Take note of the location—the road conditions, speed limits, traffic
control devices, the weather, and the lighting.
Take note of how the accident occurred—the direction of travel of the
vehicles involved, and what the cars are doing at the time of the
accident. It is significant to note that you will be asked to share your
notes with the person you are suing or the person who is suing you if
the accident may result to litigation.
Never admit liability.
Even if you believe you are at fault, do not admit liability. There may
be other factors which you don't know that may turn the fault to the
other driver. Do not make statements, on print or tape, to anybody at
the accident scene, except for the police. Nevertheless, when speaking
to the police, tell them only the facts of what happened. Let them make
their own conclusion from the facts.
Seek medical care.
See a doctor. This is to eliminate the probability of the inability to
obtain "no fault" benefits for your injuries. There are statutes in
every state pertaining to what the insurance can cover. If you do not
see a doctor, you might find later on that the insurance company or the
other driver involved in the accident argue that your injuries were not
related to the accident. In addition, the "adrenaline rush" from the
accident can mask symptoms, which a physical examination can otherwise
reveal.
Tell the doctor your symptoms--- any loss of memory, headache, blood or
fluid in the ear, dizziness, disorientation, ringing in the ears,
nausea, confusion, or any other unusual physical or mental feeling.
It is best to be safe. Report your symptoms so that a medical expert can
rule out the possibility of a much greater damage.
Dealing with automobile accidents can be overwhelming, especially of you
are not aware of the ins and outs of the legalities regarding this
problem. So if you or a family member is a victim or have suffered from
an automobile accident, it is better to have a reliable and competent
lawyer to assist you in your claims. The lawyer will provide you the
opportunity for a fair outcome, as well as recover damages that you
deserve.
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