What To Do If You’ve Witnessed An Auto Accident

Witnessing an accident can be a scary experience, especially if someone has been injured. However, witnesses are crucial to ensuring that the victims of the accident are protected, so it is important to know what to do. Whether you’ve witnessed an accident as another driver or a pedestrian, here are the steps you should take:

Stay Calm

Between the suddenness, the loud noises, and the injuries, an accident can be a truly scary experience. You may want to panic, but it is very important you stay calm. In cases where people have been seriously injured, you may be the only person who can help. So if you see an accident, take deep breaths and just stay focused on what you need to do to help.

Move Out Of The Way

If you are in a vehicle or a pedestrian, you need to move out of the way of the accident so you are safe. Accidents can lead to pile ups or cause other drivers to react erratically, so you need to get out of the way as soon as possible. So before doing anything else, make sure you are in a safe place. Also, you need to make sure that you are not in the way of first responders like policemen, EMTs, and firefighters who may need to get to the accident.

Call 911

Whether a fender bender or a serious accident, you need to call emergency services right away. Do not approach the accident first to see if the injured parties need help, just assume they do because the sooner you call 911 the sooner emergency responders will arrive in case of injury. In the case of an accident, it’s better for everyone to show up and not be needed, then show up too late to help.

Report What You’ve Seen

When you call 911, you want to make sure that you stay calm and tell them everything that you’ve seen while you still remember it. A 911 call could be used later to help make sure people receive compensation for their medical treatment. Give them your name, tell them your exact location, what happened, and anything else that is relevant to the safety of people around the accident like injuries, fires, or road debris. Stay on the line until the operator gets all the information they need.

Be Careful Helping The Victims

Our first inclination may be to help, but without proper training we may make injuries worse. Do not try to move someone unless you know what you are doing or there is even more severe risk to their lives. Be careful not to put yourself in danger, because you won’t be able to help anyone if you are hurt as well. Try to wait for the emergency responders to arrive.

Cooperate With The Police

Though you may be in a rush to get somewhere, it’s important that you stay and talk to the police. This may take some time out of your day which can be very inconveniencing but it is important that you stay and give the police a full report. When telling the police what you saw, try to recall every detail. If you don’t know the answer to a question, it’s okay to say you don’t know. Police can be intimidating, but they know you are trying to help, so don’t be afraid to tell them everything. Finally, don’t leave until the police say they have everything they need and you are free to go.

Be Prepared To Recall The Accident

You may at some point be asked to recall the details of the accident. So when you get home, make some notes of what happened so you can remember if you are asked for a statement later. You may be contacted by the police, an attorney, or the insurance company after the accident, so it’s important that you remember everything you saw so you can help.

If you’ve been a witness to an accident, follow these important steps so you can help the victims. Also if you are ever in a car accident and have experienced an injury, the lawyers at All Injuries Law Firm can help. We understand how to work with witnesses to make sure that you get fair compensation for an accident. So call us today for a free consultation.