You’re three cars back when the light turns red, so you properly decelerate and come to a stop. That’s when you hear a loud screech, followed almost immediately by loud crunching sound and your head whips into the headrest behind you then into the now-deployed airbag that shot out of your steering wheel.
Turns out the person behind you didn’t notice the red light, and now you and the cars in front of you are all damaged. Hopefully nobody is injured. What do you do next? Here are some tips on what to do if you get into a car accident.
- Check on your own well being first, then check on any passengers.
- Dial 911 whether you think you’ve been seriously injured or now. Aside from an EMT possibly being able to find an injury you couldn’t, you need to have the authorities on the scene.
- Get to safety if you’re able to.
- Get the name, phone number and insurance information of the other party.
- Document, document, document. Take pictures of your car. Take pictures of the other car. Take pictures of the overall scene.
- Get witness statements along with their contact info.
- Contact and notify your insurance company. (If that’s us: 336-540-0463.)
- Make sure to write down any medical treatment you receive.
- You might wan to consult with a personal injury lawyer, whether you caused the accident or were a victim of it. If you’re a victim, you can make sure your medical expenses are covered. If you were at fault for the accident, an attorney can help make sure you’re not being taken advantage of.