Being involved in a vehicle accident can be one of the most traumatic episodes in life. There is not quite any other situation like it, so preparing for it is next to impossible. But what you do when the accident occurs can make the difference in your ongoing health as well as your livelihood. Because of this reason it is good to have a guideline of things you should know and focus on in the event you are involved in a traffic accident.

Stay Calm

The first thing to do might be the most difficult for most people, but it is certainly one of the most important, and that is to stay calm. Car accidents can be devastating. One second you are driving along on the road or highway and the next you feel an impact, you get thrown around and even turned upside down and you are in pain. At first you have no real idea about what happened and only when your senses which have been completely overloaded begin to come back do you realize that you were hit by another vehicle. So staying calm when the smoke clears is not easy, but it is critical to being able to understand and remember what has happened so you can tell the police, your insurance company and a law firm like Christensen & Hymas, who can get you a financial settlement from the accident.

Call 911

Some people get so dazed and confused when they are in a car accident, they forget to call 911. This number will get you police who can record the details of the accident and an ambulance that can assist you and others with medical treatment on scene and then take you to a hospital. Do not wait to determine who might be hurt and how badly, you need to get them there immediately. When the paramedic arrives, that medical professional will examine everyone and assess what medical treatment is needed. The police will make their written report and then interview everyone involved. If the driver who hit you was drunk, they will also take that person to jail.

Assess Your Injuries

When you are sitting in your damaged vehicle, you need to assess your injuries to the best of your ability. You will certainly have neck pain due to the sudden jarring of your neck during the impact. But you also need to know what else is hurt. There might be some obvious injuries that you can see, and others you can feel particularly if they are broken bones, but pay close attention to your back because injuries to tour spine can be very bad and made even worse if you move wrong after. Make sure that you can feel your limbs and extremities. If so, then you probably will not have severe nerve damage. Be cautious and if you are unsure and it is safe to do so, wait until help arrives before you move. When help arrives in the form an ambulance communicate the injuries you know to the medical professionals and follow their orders regarding your injuries. Depending upon the severity of the accident they may send you to the hospital to get tests for further injuries.

If you are too hurt to perform any of these duties, you can count on that someone else around will. Try and remember everything you can about what happened and when you are able write it out or dictate it into a recorder. Your attorney will need this information for your case.