I've been Hurt in an Auto Accident - What Now?

You hear the screech of the rubber behind you. You know that sound; it’s the tires of someone’s vehicle trying to stop at the last minute. You look up into the rearview mirror just as their vehicle comes crashing into yours. The impact is so forceful that it forces your vehicle into the intersection ahead and you are hit from the side by another driver who was just as surprised as you were.

You know that you are hurt, but you aren’t sure how bad because the adrenalin is rushing through your body, temporarily numbing you to what just occurred. You hear the sirens, you see the flashing lights, and your body starts to allow you to feel the pain. You were just injured in an auto accident. What are you going to do now?

When you are injured in an auto accident, the first thing to remember is to assess your injuries before you ever think about moving. If you are conscious, you can tell someone where the pain is – even if you are unable to see the area that the pain is coming from, which is often the case when a limb is pinned within the twisted metal of a vehicle.

If you are injured, but able to move, you should try to remove yourself and any passengers from the vehicle. Accidents often cause punctures in several fluid reservoirs, including the gas tank, and you don’t want to be in a vehicle that is leaking anything flammable.

Once you and your passengers are safely away from the vehicle, you need to either call, or ask someone else to call 911 so that the proper individuals will be dispatched to the scene. You should then assess the situation and help any other individuals who were involved if possible.

Many auto accident injuries require several visits to doctors and some even require surgery. With all of this comes loss of work and likely the inability to care for your family during your recovery. You are entitled to compensation for this, which is why you should contact an attorney immediately.