Traffic Crashes
An automobile crash can consist of a minor fender bender to full-scale wreckage. Either way no sane person takes pleasure in being involved in such an event. It is annoying to say the least and can cause significant damage to property and /or injury or death to persons and animals. After a vehicle collision the emotional state of the surviving driver(s) can range from being disoriented to lucent or mildly perturbed to visibly angry. Therefore it is necessary to gather your faculties and remain calm before making any rash decisions. Once you have regained your composure it is of the utmost importance to conduct a scene assessment before deciding whether or not to exit your vehicle.
Assessing a scene of an automobile crash contains several variables. As the driver you must first ascertain whether or not you are injured and the level of trauma to your body. The passenger(s) of your vehicle should then be observed for any visible injuries. Any life threatening injuries should be attended to immediately. A phone call to 911 from a cellular phone in the vehicle is the next crucial step in remediation process of a traffic crash. It is imperative that emergency services personnel are notified and quickly arrive on the scene. They are the ones that are specially trained to secure the crash scene and provide the necessary medical care .Once you have completed the initial assessment & reporting phase, you should scan the area of the crash scene for any possible dangers. This would include, but is not limited to traffic congestion, utility pole damage, environmental factors and the occupants of the other vehicle(s).
Many certified rescue personnel hold different professional opinions on whether or not to exit the vehicle. Some believe that an injured person should remain inside the vehicle until emergency services personnel arrive on the scene. Their rationale is that a lack of excessive voluntary movement will ensure the victim from aggravating pre-existing injuries as well as protect you from possible danger outside the vehicle. Other professionals contend that if there are no significant injuries then you should remove yourself from the roadway by either driving the vehicle to the shoulder or exiting the vehicle and relocating to a safer area.
Should you decide to exit your vehicle, quickly check on the status of the occupants in the other vehicle(s) and begin the triage assessment in order to render the appropriate aid. This should occur only in the absence of emergency services personnel. Once they are on the scene, and unless they direct you otherwise, remove yourself from the role of a Good Samaritan and allow them to take over. When providing aid, always ask the victim if they would like your assistance before touching them. This should minimize the civil liability should you exacerbate their injuries or cause further harm. An unconscious person can not provide informed consent and thus it is implied that they would want emergency medical attention. Once aid has been rendered to others, exit the crash scene and await the arrival of the authorities by standing or sitting in a safe place away from oncoming traffic. There is no need to hang around the vehicle and examine the damage. You are only putting yourself in harms’ way of becoming physically injured by other vehicles in motion.
Those people in the automobile insurance industry may not be too happy to read the next section of this article. However, it is noteworthy to mention that property damage only equates to monetary loss. It is of no real consequence in the grand scheme of things that are considered important in life. Your insurance company should reimburse the costs of repairing the damage leaving you with only a minimal out of pocket deductible. Even that is possibly a recoverable expense if the other driver has been found at fault for the crash. Once the investigation stage of the collision begins, people will want to inquire about the cause and nature of the crash. There are certain individuals that you might consider speaking with and others that you should probably avoid. Unless it is a criminal matter, you should inform the police about the circumstances surrounding the event. Never admit fault or give a statement to an insurance adjuster that does not represent your insurance carrier. Once you make a statement to the other parties’ adjuster, it becomes a part of the official record and can be used against you in civil proceedings. Remember you are not required to speak with an insurance adjuster.
Consider yourself blessed if you were unharmed in a traffic collision. Property can always be replaced, human life cannot. As a survivor, you were the lucky one!