• Assess your injuries and the injuries of those around you. If anyone has serious injuries, call for medical help immediately. If you are injured but unsure of whether or not you need professional attention, be sure to see your doctor just in case.
• Put on your hazard lights if possible and pull off of the road if possible. One danger of being involved in a car accident is a car crashing into your wreck. If you can, get your car (and you and your passengers) off of the road. At best, make sure your car is as visible to approaching drivers as possible.
• Check on others involved in the accident. Determine if passengers and drivers in other cars need medical assistance. Make sure everyone is out of the road and a safe distance from the shoulder.
• Get a police report. Call the police if no one else has and do not leave the scene until you have the information on the police report as well as the officer’s name and badge number.
• Don’t discuss the accident with others or admit fault. Sometimes we say things to make others feel better – or we say things we don’t mean when we are shocked or confused. It is important to do neither at the scene of an accident.
• Get names and contact information from other drivers and other witnesses.
• If you have a camera or cell phone, take pictures of the accident as well as any damage that took place.
If you were in a serious car accident in Missouri or Illinois, consider calling a traffic accident attorney for help with your case in the days after your wreck. We can offer you a case evaluation and help you receive the compensation you deserve.