4 Immediate Steps After Getting In a Vehicle Accident

Even though you never want to get into a vehicle accident, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take the time to prepare for one in advance, just in case. You see so many instances in which people are angry, panicked, or overwhelmed immediately after even a small accident – that should be a good indicator to you that you should know in advance what you would do if you are in a situation involving a car crash.

You can break many of your thoughts down into four pieces. First, you should make sure everyone is okay. No matter what, safety needs to be your priority, regardless of the size or scope of the accident. Before you have any other reaction, check for injuries all around. After that, go over the accident checklist you should be keeping in your vehicle. Next, be sure to call the authorities. Even if you don’t want to or if you think the accident is small, it’s much better to have the law involved then to try to skip that step. Lastly, make sure that you know how to get a tow truck just in case you need one. You don’t want to have to try to figure out how to do that on the fly at the site of an accident without preparing.

Make Sure Everyone Is OK

After an accident, make sure everyone is okay. Check in with the people in your vehicle and the people in any other car that may have been involved. Look out for people who are in shock, look out for people who may have invisible injuries like whiplash, and look out for people who have something obviously wrong with them, such as if they are bleeding. Before doing any other administrative tasks, everyone needs to be cleared for injuries.

Check Your Checklist

If you own a car, you should have an accident checklist in your glovebox. It’s extremely simple to find a premade one on the Internet and print it out. After you print it, you will always have it in your car in case you need it. Sometimes accidents are so shocking you forget what you’re doing. Knowing that you can reach over and go through this checklist means it will keep you on target and mentally focused.

Call the Authorities

Every car accident that you get into, you need to call the authorities. Get in a fender bender? Call 911. Get involved in something more serious? Call the cops. They will help you to navigate all of the legal implications of the crash. If you don’t call the authorities, there is a chance that you could get ripped off or defrauded by any of the other parties involved.

Get a Tow

After an accident, there is a good chance that your car will need to be towed. In this case, you don’t want to be uncertain about how to call a towing company. Sometimes your insurance will cover this cost, and all you have to do is have the phone number of a reliable company on hand. Other times, you may have to look up who the closest company is. Regardless though, you need to know what the process for calling a tow company is so that you have some preparation for what details you need.