What To Do After A Car Accident

Car Accidents are terrifying. I have been in a handful over my life and all have been frightening. No one ever wants to have to call 911 because of an accident but it is better to be prepared just in case. If you want a definitive list you can print out either one of our printables at the end of this post.

Here are some things you should do if you are in an accident:

1. Check for injuries on yourself and others in the car. Call 911 if necessary.
2. Exchange information with the other drive. Make sure to get their name, phone number, address as well as the make and model of their car and their license plate number. I find it helps to take a picture of the car and license plate.
3. Call the police if you haven’t already to come and make an official report. You will need this later.
4. Take photos of the accident from all angles.
5. Find witnesses to the accident and gather their contact information,
6. Call your insurance to report the accident.
7.  Do not leave the scene and do not admit fault.
8. Make sure your car is towed away to a repair center and work is started on the bonnet, wheels, rims, or wherever needs fixing.

After my car accident, I created this printable form that I could keep in my car with my insurance cards and a pen, in case I ever need it again. I love knowing I miss any important information.

Contact an Attorney

One of the best things you can do in the event of a car accident is to make sure you get in touch with an attorney. There are so many ideas that will help you when it comes to improving this process, and you need to understand that having some kind of legal protection following your accident is of the utmost importance. So, you need to try to focus on some of the best things you can do to improve your position, and getting in touch with a car accident attorney is one of the most important ways of doing this. 

It’s something that can often get forgotten about due to the other issues that come with car accidents, but it is hugely important when you are looking to protect yourself and your future as much as possible. You need to have legal representation, as well as increasing your chances of getting compensation in the event of your accident, and this is what makes a car accident lawyer so important.

My Car Accident Story

It was going to be a great day. I saw a number on the scale that I hadn’t seen in months. My middle school teacher husband only had a week left of school before he was out for the summer. It was going to be a great day.

We had been watching my friend’s four kids, for the last week. It had been a pretty great week and their parents were coming home that day. I had big plans to drop the kids off at school and then come home and clean my friend’s house for her. I dropped the three oldest kids off at school, in my friend’s minivan and the pulled out of the parking lot with my 3-year-old and her 11-month-old still in the car.

I didn’t make it far from the school. I was just down the road, which happened to be a very busy two-lane road. Busy, small and dangerous. The car in front of me stopped suddenly to make a left-hand turn. Luckily I had been watching and was able to stop in time. When I stopped I looked up in my rearview mirror and in a split second, I knew. I knew the minivan behind was not going to be able to stop. She was going way too fast. I knew I had only a couple of seconds before she slammed into me. I glanced at my sides and there was no place to go. In those quick moments, I think I said the most fervent prayer of my life.

So many things happened in the second of impact. The kids started screaming. Glass shattered and metal crunched. The force of her impact slammed the front of the car I was driving into the car in front of me. A fourth car came along, seeing the accident she tried to swerve as to not hit us. She didn’t hit us but she drove her truck right into a tree in a neighboring yard.

Thankfully, my door would still open. I stepped out of the car and had to use all of my strength to get the kid’s door open in the back.  I worked to calm down the kids. Searching for my purse to give them treats. My purse which had been sitting next to me on the passenger seat before I was hit, was now if the back of the car. I was scared to get the kids out of the car because we were still on a busy street and cars were still trying to drive past us. I’m not sure who called 911. Honestly, I was so dazed it would have taken me a long time to think to do it. It made me grateful for passing good Samaritans and made me vow to be one in the future.