After the accident, immediately check if anyone was injured. Call 911 to get the ambulance and the local police. Stay calm, and follow these steps below!
Any car accident can give people an overwhelming, frightening, and disorienting experience. Still, when a car accident occurs on the highway, these effects will multiply. The reason is that unlike urban streets, the through lanes of highways pass through multiple lanes without stopping.
It means that car accidents are often more destructive due to higher speeds. It is difficult to get help, which means that the accident victim might be left alone for a while.
That being said, any driver affected in a highway accident may take certain actions to ensure their wellbeing. If the accident is not their fault, then they should also take some steps to ensure that they can compensate for all costs caused by the accident.
One of these steps is to contact an accident lawyer to provide the legal help needed by accident victims. If you live in the San Antonio area and are involved in a traffic accident, please contact the San Antonio car accident attorney to get the help you need.
Check For Injuries
Checking if you have endured any damage is the very first thing you should do. Of course, you will not be able to perform a complete medical evaluation. A medical professional will have to perform this evaluation.
You still can inspect for broken bones, cuts, and bruises, pain, swelling, or difficulty breathing. If you can move easily, you should check whether passengers are in the car. Also, check the driver who crashed into your car.
Call Emergency Services
Calling 911 should be your first step so that they can send an ambulance or help. Even if you do not think you have been injured, you should be checked by a medical professional because some injuries will not be immediately apparent.
The police are allowed to clean up the situation and guarantee the safety of everybody. You will also have to write an accident report, which may help you make a personal injury claim.
Take Pictures
Suppose you have a camera in your car or your phone has a camera. In that case, you should take pictures of the vehicle if any damage is visible. If you have obvious injuries, you should take pictures of them as well. However, it would be best not to interfere with an ongoing police investigation. Take pictures as quickly as possible after the crash if you are unable to snap photographs at the scene of the crash.
Protect The Scene
You can prevent further accidents by using flares or turning on the flashlights. If it is dark and the lights are not on, you should carry a flashlight with you to ensure your safety when you are in a broken vehicle or waiting at the side of the road.
Get To Safety
You can do this while waiting for assistance to show up, or you can even do it before calling emergency services if the scenario is complicated. Either possible way, as quickly as possible, you should get to a safe location. Since you are on the highway, the cars may drive past you, and you do not want to be caught in another accident.
Therefore, if possible, try to reach the shoulder or barrier, or wherever traffic can be avoided. However, do not try to cross the highway on foot, so please find a nearby place. If your car is in the driving lane but can still be driven, move it away to avoid eventually causing other accidents.
Gather Evidence
Even if you can understand the safety after a car accident, you should consider insurance claims. If other drivers are responsible for the accident, you should start collecting evidence to prove their responsibility.
It indicates snapping photographs of the time of the crash and every other vehicle's damage. If you have to move the car away, please make a note of this. To analyze the crash, specialists can use the pictures and evaluate who went wrong.
Exchange Information
After taking care of everyone's safety and health, you can exchange contact and insurance information with other drivers. If the accident is their fault, then you will submit an injury claim to their insurance company, so you need to obtain their insurance information.
When you talk to other drivers, please ensure that you do not apologize or suggest that the accident was caused because of your fault. This statement will be used by the insurance provider to attempt to minimize or dismiss your agreement.
Keep A File
Keep all documents and information related to the accident safe. This information should include the claim number, the claim adjuster who handled the claim, the names and phone numbers of all contacts, the car rental receipt, and proof of any other expenses due to the accident.
Seek Medical Attention
In particular, injuries suffered by car crashes are not generally immediately evident. Many people report that they feel the most pain within a day or two after a car accident.
Even if you are sure that you are not injured, you should seek medical care in your local emergency room or family doctor.
Even in an accident involving a minor impact, you may suffer permanent damage to the spinal cord. Assume, for a short time after the crash, you lose consciousness or feel nauseous. In that case, it may be a concussion or an internal head injury. If left untreated, it may cause cognitive and behavioral changes.
Be Careful After A Highway Car Accident
Highway car crashes are even more harmful than city road car crashes, so ensure to proceed with caution after a crash.
The next step should be to contact a personal injury lawyer to represent you, after taking all the required steps at the accident scene.
They can collect more evidence to prove other drivers' liability and negotiate with insurance companies to get you a fair settlement covering all your losses.
Don't get away from the crash incident even if it was a small accident!
