According to WHO’s reports, every year, approximately 1.19 million people die in road accidents and between 20 and 50 million suffer non-fatal injuries, with many incurring a disability.
Getting into a road accident is a scary experience that often leaves individuals confused about what their next step should be. Since they are unaware of the procedures that must be followed, most people are unable to take adequate measures to secure themselves in all ways in this overwhelming situation.
If you find yourself or someone you care for in a similar situation, this guide is for you. Here, we will discuss how to react correctly after getting injured in a road accident. So, stay tuned to learn more!
Get to a safe place
Accident scenes can be unsafe for injured people. They should keep in mind that their life is the most important, and in those moments, they must adequately provide for themselves. If possible, move to a place where their life will not be endangered.
One method is to secure their location. If they are on the road, make sure to set up adequate signaling to encourage other drivers to slow down because something has happened. This will help prevent another accident, saving from bigger injuries.
DO YOU KNOW? With 18.1%, errors when leaving a road are the major cause of road accidents.
Call a lawyer
If severe injuries are sustained, it is always wise to take a legal route and work with the law. It happens, in many cases, that a person who has suffered injuries does not receive adequate justice for the pain they suffered as a result of the negligence of other persons. Precisely because of such situations, a lawyer is required to provide the victims with all the legal support they need.
Additionally, dealing with all the legal proceedings can be extremely difficult while being injured. Lawyers know all these procedures and will apply the best possible methods to ensure the victim’s rights. You can read more and find out what kind of legal help you might need. Lawyers often work in different fields, and the best option is to find someone who specializes in your type of case.
This way, the methods that have proven to be the best from previous experiences and that are different from other legal processes will be applied. Lawyers can also prevent their clients from making any blunders during the legal process. It often happens that clients say something that shouldn’t be said, which results in them losing the case. The lawyer will take over the case and continue to work in their favor.
Gather evidence
One of the first things that should be done is gathering evidence. Many malicious persons try to all the blame on the other party in order to save themselves from legal consequences. To prevent this and prove claims, evidence is necessary. The best evidence is videos and photos that can be collected from the scene of the accident or those who recorded the accident.
Nowadays, security cameras are on almost every corner, so check carefully to see if there is appropriate video footage to support the claims. During the entire process, take care of your injury so as not to injure yourself further. Photos or videos can clearly show and prove the injuries sustained and how they were caused.
It would be even better to turn on the camera of the mobile phone immediately after the accident and record everything that happens. Various spoken statements from that moment can be strong evidence in court.
Call the insurance company
After an injury, compensation will be needed to pay all the bills and costs that will follow. In most cases, this is covered by the insurance company that has cooperation with the victim.
It is important to be careful and considerate when dealing with the insurance company. They may try to prolong and use your statements against you because it is not in their interest to pay the amount asked.
It is best to be prepared before the conversation, make a detailed plan, and know in advance what should be said to them to exercise your rights. Professional help can also be of great help in such situations to help prepare adequately.
Document all injuries
All injuries sustained during the accident must be clearly documented. Finish it with the doctor at the hospital after the examination. After a detailed examination, all violations will be noted and those documents can prove to be very important for many institutions.
Do not forget that the police and the court can request such documentation at any time, so it is better to have several copies. This serves as proof that the injuries sustained are real and that the individual has suffered the consequences of the accident. The insurance company also asks for these documents, so it is better to prepare them in advance.
Seek support
Support can come in handy, after suffering injuries. Depending on the injuries, it can be harder for you to move around. In order to go through recovery, the help of friends and family is always needed.
In many cases, injuries can cause certain traumas and fears and leave serious consequences for the person’s mental health. To prevent this from happening, the help of a psychologist and friends is always a good solution.
With their expertise, psychologists will be able to analyze the problem and give concrete guidelines with which the victim can solve it. Socializing and engaging in social activities will help them feel better during their recovery.
INTERESTING TIDBIT Driving while drowsy is considered equally dangerous as driving drunk, with studies showing similar crash risks when driving after 20 hours without sleep compared to a blood alcohol content of 0.08%.
Focus on recovery
The recovery period can be quite stressful and prevent individuals from doing some things that they could do before. Many people make big mistakes in that process and return to everyday life even if the recovery is not completed properly.
Remember that, the body needs rest so that all wounds and bones can heal in the best possible way. By interrupting this rest, the risk of causing even bigger injuries increases. For these reasons, it is important to focus on their recovery and monitor the entire process.
Road accidents can take a toll on the mental, physical, and even emotional well-being of a person. The tips listed in this article can assist you in responding in the right way after your injuries and protecting yourself physically and legally.
