Follow These Steps to Protect Yourself After a Car Crash
The moments after a car crash are frightening and chaotic. Without knowing what to do in advance, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. In the heat of the moment, people sometimes make costly mistakes. But there are several key steps that will ensure a car accident doesn’t turn into something even worse.
Tennessee Crash Statistics
Unfortunately, driving comes with inherent risks, no matter how responsible you are behind the wheel. In 2020, Tennessee was ranked 8th in the US for traffic fatalities. Like many other states, failure to maintain a lane is the most common cause of fatal car accidents in Tennessee.
In the state of Tennessee (2020), there were:
- 23,815 car crashes involving a distraction
- 40.42% of accidents were front-to-rear crashes
- 20.62% of distracted driving crashes involved drivers aged 16-24
- 7,332 crashes involved an impaired driver
- 10% of fatal crashes involved both alcohol and drugs
If you’re injured in a crash, one of the most critical steps is to call a Knoxville car accident lawyer once you’ve collected vital details and received medical attention.
What to Do After a Car Accident
Missteps in the moments after a crash can put your safety, health, and livelihood at risk. They can also jeopardize your chances of winning a personal injury lawsuit. If you or a loved one are in a car accident, remember these steps to ensure an optimal outcome.
Check Yourself for Injuries
The first order of business after a crash is checking yourself for obvious injuries. If you need medical assistance or can’t move, call 911 immediately and wait for first responders to arrive. If you aren’t visibly injured or too hurt to move, move on to step two.
Check On Your Passengers
After checking yourself, tend to any passengers. If someone in your car is injured, call 911 or ask a bystander to call for you. If you think a pedestrian or another motorist is injured, you can check on them if it’s safe to do so. Never touch or move a wounded person. Call 911 and let first responders do their job.
Get to Safety
If no one is badly injured, get to safety to avoid further damage and injury. Cars on the road are a hazard and can cause additional accidents. If your car is drivable, pull off the road where it’s out of the way. If you can’t drive your car, leave it where it is and move yourself and your passengers to safety.
Call 911
If there are no known injuries, call 911 to file a crash report. The police will come to take a report at the scene. Remember, it’s important to call law enforcement whether you think the crash is major or minor. Failing to do so can be disastrous because people frequently notice damages and injuries in the hours or even days after leaving the scene of an accident.
Exchange Information
Once you’re sure no one is injured, exchange the necessary information with the other driver or drivers. Be sure to collect:
- Their full name and contact info
- The exact location of the accident
- Their license plate number and driver’s license number
- The make, model, and color of their vehicle
- Their insurance company and policy number
Keeping a list in your glove compartment of all the info you need to collect after a crash can be helpful. The moments after an auto accident are confusing and hectic enough without having to remember what needs to be exchanged.
Document the Accident
To make sure your best interests are protected, document the following:
- The names and contact info of any witnesses to the accident
- Photos of the vehicles, the road, road signs, damages, etc.
- The names and contact info of all passengers in any vehicles involved
- The names and badge numbers of all responding officers
- A copy of the accident report
All of the above documents will be essential to determine liability. Your personal injury lawyer will use the information you collected at the scene to help build your case.
Call a Car Accident Lawyer
After a car accident, Mandy Hancock Law is here to help. We are committed to giving your car accident case the time and attention it deserves to ensure the best possible outcome. From your free consultation to your settlement and everything in between, we’ll be there.
Mandy Hancock Law helps with the following:
- Collecting eyewitness statements
- Understanding all the details of your crash
- Getting your Knoxville crash report
- Gathering pictures of the crash
- Notifying the defendant’s insurance company of your legal representation
- Organizing past and present medical records
- Sending a demand letter to the insurance company
- Negotiating with the insurance company for your compensation
At Mandy Hancock Law, we know how overwhelming a car crash is for the victim. Our personal injury lawyers are here to discuss your case so you can understand your rights and determine whether you have a case. Let us handle the legal aspect of your crash so you can focus on restoring your quality of life.