Many people don’t bother wondering what do you do after a car accident, because they think they’ll never be in one. Yet, did you know that an estimated 40% of auto accident related fatalities in the U.S. are related to speeding? Traffic crime is a bigger deal than most people make it out to be. In fact, the Bureau of Justice Statistics reports that 52% of personal injury lawsuits in the U.S. are related to automobile accidents each year, while a mere 5% are related to product liability issues. Thankfully, they also report that 60% of personal injury lawsuits related to automobile accidents in the U.S. are won by the plaintiff.
With the astounding amount of auto accidents in the U.S., it’s no wonder that there’s an estimated 45,678 personal injury law businesses that employ auto accident injury attorneys in the United States according to IBIS World research. These attorneys will help you deal with the aftermath, but equally important are the actions taken immediately after-and even before-the accident. The real question is what do you do after a car accident?
Edmund’s, an automotive information site, answers the question, “what do you do after a car accident?” The first step is to be prepared by having an emergency kit in your trunk or glove box. This includes items such as: an emergency cell phone, pen and paper, a camera to take photos of the scene, and an information card with any medical allergies and conditions for the event of serious injuries.
But what do you do after a car accident, as in what actions do you really take other than being prepared? The first thing to do, in the case, of minor accidents, is to move vehicles to the side of the road so as to avoid creating any other accidents. If the cars cannot be moved, be sure to phone 911 and stay in the vehicle, with seat belts and hazard lights on.
Next, when answering what do you do after a car accident, the professionals recommend exchanging the following information: name, address, phone number, insurance company, policy number, driver license number and license plate number for the driver and the owner of each vehicle. Be sure to also make note of a description of each car, including the year, make, model and color — and the exact location of the collision and how it happened. Be sure to get contact info for any witnesses as well, to help with any future disputes.
Once law enforcement arrives, they’ll help you through the rest of the process. Hopefully if you wondered what do you do after a car accident, you now know! If you’re still wondering what do you do after a car accident, feel free to ask questions in the comments! More research here: St. louis car accident attorney