411: What to do after an accident

December 10th, 2015

Anmol Rajdev

On November 30^th, the Palm Beach Post reported the tragic story of a motor vehicle accident. The crash occurred in Long Island, NY and involved a 25 year old woman. Brittany Leith, 25, hit the center median consequently making her car flip and land on its roof on the side of the highway. Leith survived the accident and other motorists managed to help her out of her vehicle while waiting for the arrival of the police. Despite warnings from bystanders, however, she insisted on retrieving her belongings from her car and crossed the highway to do so. This proved to be a fatal decision as she was hit by another passing car while attempting to safeguard her belongings and did not survive. Leith’s story is both heartbreaking and unfortunate.

As a personal injury law firm, we cannot emphasize how important undertaking safety precautions are for those involved in motor vehicle accidents.

Here are some tips that may be helpful during an accident:

Remain calm: it may be very difficult to be calm in such a shocking situation, but it is highly beneficial to take gain control of your emotions. By remaining calm, you’ll have more clarity about what took place. The calmer you are, the more prepared you will be to manage the situation.
Assess for injuries and safety: it’s important to assess everyone’s condition in your car. While checking for serious injuries, remember that not all serious injuries are visible or immediately apparent. If anyone, including yourself, does not feel 100% healthy, ensure that you report that during your 911 call and request emergency assistance.
Report the accident: call 911 and report your accident. Remain calm as the operator asks you a series of questions. Be prepared to give a brief description of your accident as well as provide them with the location of the crash. Do not hang up until they release you from the call.
Exchange vital information with the other party: it is very important to exchange information with the other driver. Write down the name, address, phone number and license numbers for all drivers and witnesses, particularly those who were not riding in a vehicle involved in the accident. Ask for the insurance companies and policy numbers for drivers involved in the car accident. During this exchange, however, do not admit fault. It is always in your best interest to only discuss the accident with the police and your own insurance’s claim representative.
Take Notes and Pictures While on Scene: motor vehicle accidents often happen fast and details may be foggy during the aftermath. If you can, take pictures and notes of your accident. Draw a diagram of the scene. The police will provide details in their crash report so you need not worry about this step during a major crash where you find yourself incapacitated.

Our Aronberg & Aronberg auto accident iPhone (click here to download IPhone App) and Android (click here to download Android App) app may be tremendously helpful to you in undertaking all of these safety measures. The app offers direct connection to your phone’s camera, video recorder and text notepad thus providing all you will need to record the pertinent data of an accident. It also provides a form that you can fill out during your exchange of information with the other driver and will prevent you from forgetting any important detail. Finally, through our app you may use an automatic GPS locator which aides in recording critical accident facts like traffic patterns and driving conditions and an emergency services locator. Whatever happens during an accident, just remember that your main priority is to remain safe. If you find yourself in need of help in the aftermath of a motor vehicle accident, contact us at daronberg@build.simple.biz or call us at 561-266-9191.