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What To Do After An Auto Accident
By Gary A. Jackson, Attorney at Law
This article is the First in a Two-Part Series on the subject of being better-prepared for an automobile accident. There are many issues involved which generally fall into one of two categories: 1) Your Health and Safety, and 2) Your Property and Legal Rights. As attorneys, we are concerned about protecting the legal rights of our clients so that if you are the victim of an auto accident you can get your health and your car back to "good as new." You can read all about that in the next article. This article discusses your health and safety.

We are also providing a checklist for your convenience. You may print it directly from our website and keep it in your car with your other important papers.

Safety At the Accident Scene

The most important thing to consider in an accident is your health and safety, and of course, the health and safety of your family and others who may be in the car with you. Therefore, if you are in an accident the first thing to do is check for major injuries. This has at least three components: 1) If there are major injuries, a 911 call should be made immediately; if you do not have a cell phone, use the call boxes provided on most major highways, or get to a local phone; 2) Try to get all cars out of traffic lanes; and, 3) Turn-off your engine.

Even when there are no noticeable major injuries, it is a good idea to place a 911 call to get either the Highway Patrol or the local police to the scene. The scene of an accident is actually a very dangerous place. Many major injuries occur after the initial collision because other drivers may be speeding along, not notice that there are stopped cars, and then crash into the scene at full speed. You should be aware of this risk at all times. NEVER stand between two stopped vehicles which are near moving traffic. If a moving car hits the rear car, it will propel it into the car in front, severely injuring anyone caught between them.

That's why it's a good idea to get the traffic police on the scene as soon as possible, and to move your car out of traffic lanes, and as far from them as you can.

After getting out of the way of moving traffic, turn-off your engine. Two bad things are possible with the engine running: 1) there may be a gas leak that gets ignited by the running engine, and 2) the transmission could get bumped into gear causing the car to move out of control.

Talk to Your Kids Ahead of Time

Obviously, the entire accident scene takes on more important risks if you have your children with you. We all know they are hard enough to keep under control at the mall--can you imagine standing with them at the side of a busy freeway? Talk to your children now, and while you're discussing emergency plans in case of a fire in your home and all the other important things you try to prepare your children for--be sure to prepare everyone for an automobile accident emergency.

Always stay as far away from moving traffic as you can. You should not leave the scene, but stay out of the way of traffic. Take a quick look around and ask yourself, "If a driver comes this way, but doesn't see the danger, and crashes into these cars, where is the safest place to be standing?"

Airbag Technology

One last note about safety: I know you are all using your car seats for your children and your seat belts and doing everything you're told about these safety items. There is, however, something we don't think about with air bags that you should be prepared for. An airbag works by exploding a tiny device which fills the bag with air almost instantaneously. It is great technology and has saved several lives, but when it explodes it makes a noise and produces small amounts of smoke; both of which will likely scare your kids.

One client's daughter was saved by an airbag in an auto accident, but when it happened, she thought she had gone to Heaven. She had seen the accident occuring and heard the explosion and when she opened her eyes all she could see was the airbag, which was white and puffy, and some puffy white smoke. She thought she was in Heaven and it scared her. Mom avoided injury also, but was dazed for a few moments. The incident would have been less traumatic for both of them if they had known what happens when airbags deploy.

What To Do Checklist

We feel that an ounce of prevention is always worth more than a pound of cure, so our motto is, "Be prepared." Of course, we didn't invent the motto, but we try to follow it and hope that our clients and others do, too. Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst. For that reason, we have prepared a checklist for you to keep in your glove box with your Registration and other important papers.

To print-out the checklist, Click Here.

Please be sure to also read the companion article on Your Property and Legal Rights.

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