BAM! You didn’t see them coming, or maybe they did something at the last second that you weren’t expecting, but you just had an encounter with an event that everyone dreads … a car accident.  Most are fender benders where nobody gets physically hurt, but if you handle the aftermath improperly, you could end up getting hurt very badly from a legal and/or financial standpoint.

As such, there are things that you must always remember to do when this scary but routine situation happens. Follow along below, and while we hope that such a headache doesn’t happen to you, it always helps to be prepared in the event that it does…

1) Calm yourself

Car accidents are always a stressful situation … the crash itself gets the adrenaline pumping, you’re likely shaken up, and maybe the anger of what that idiot did is already welling up in you.  Nothing good can come from being nervous, violently angry, or mentally out of sorts.  Take several deep breaths, be grateful that you are still alive, and remember the party on the other end is likely as freaked out as you are … they are human too.

2) Check yourself for injuries

If the accident was in any way severe, you will likely have injuries of some kind.  Your task in this event is to sort out where, and how badly.  It helps to have basic first aid training in this scenario to ensure fellow occupants or the passengers in the other car are not severely hurt, and if they are, to take steps to stabilize their condition until medical help arrives.

If you are hurt significantly, allow other first responders to administer care to you, as you might aggravate your injuries if you attempt to move.  Even if the accident was a minor fender bender, it is very prudent to get checked out by a doctor ASAP, as hidden injuries need to be quantified immediately in order for successful car accident injury claims to be filed.  If you wait too long, your claim may be denied due to potential other causes not related to the accident itself.

3) Call the police

Even if you are involved in a standard crash, calling the police is essential to ensure the safe flow of traffic around the site of the incident. Police reports will need to be filled out, and witness statements taken.

4) Get the info of the other driver (and give them yours)

You’ll need to gather the particulars of the other driver’s insurance company, as well as giving them the same info for their purposes.  Note the make/model and license plate number of the car when the accident happens, should they attempt to hit and run.

Accidents are scary, but they happen everyday

You may dread having this event happen to you, but every day in your city or town, motor vehicle accidents happen.  There is an established protocol that everybody follows to ensure that this unpleasant event slips past as efficiently as possible.  The better you understand your role, the smoother this process will go for you.