Car accidents happen, sometimes no one is at fault, and sometimes it’s one individual’s fault, or the fault of many. Knowing what you should do after a car accident in Australia, even just a minor fender bender, is critical to ensuring everyone involved is safe, and to protecting your legal right to claim damages. Car accidents can be terrifying, but it’s important to keep a cool head, the results might cost you a lot of money, especially if you are physically or mentally injured and need to take time off of work.
By understanding your next steps after a motor vehicle crash you can help ensure all the involved parties are safe, and collect any needed evidence to make a successful auto insurance claim. Get back on the road faster with the help of I’m in the Right Car Hire, and claim compensation if the accident wasn’t your fault.
These steps should be followed immediately after a car accident:
Try to stay calm and think clearly. Being involved in a car accident is stressful and frightening. Even a minor car accident might trigger emotional trauma. Avoid blaming yourself or anyone else.
Check yourself for injuries. Even minor car accidents can cause extensive physical injuries as well as emotional damage. You may just have some minor cuts and bruises, or you may suffer from fractures, whiplash, or even possibly life-threatening harm. Seek medical treatment immediately.
Call the police right away, dial the emergency services number so they can summon an ambulance and fire if needed. This is particularly important if the other party is behaving aggressively, or if someone has a severe injury. There are some circumstances in which it is your legal responsibility to summon police officers to attend a car crash scene. Get help on the way as soon as you possibly can! Always stay calm and cooperate with law enforcement. Be sure to get a copy of the accident report.
Help others if you can do so without endangering yourself- sometimes it’s better to wait for emergency services to arrive. If possible, check the other parties for injuries and render emergency first aid if needed.
Move your vehicle to a safe location if it doesn’t present more risk. Even after a car accident, there are numerous hazards to your safety and well-being like passing vehicles, especially if the collision happened on a busy road or intersection. Turn on your hazard lights. Move to the kerb if you can do so safely.
Exchange driver and insurance information with everyone involved.
Take plenty of pictures and videos to document the accident scene in detail, be sure to include the licence plates of the other cars, skid marks, and anything that might be useful evidence.
File a claim with your insurance company. If you want to lodge a personal injury claim, your compensation lawyer will probably recommend a visit to a psychologist to make an assessment of your mental health and check for emotional trauma.
Car accidents are scary and can be life threatening, which is all the more reason that you should have an emergency plan in place just in case! Drive safely!
