A picture paints a thousand words so don’t hesitate to take photographs of the accident area from different angles. Damaged road? Is any part of the road damaged or in poor repair?.Are there any covered up or missing road signs? Is it raining, is there slush or ice on the road? Other Vehicle data: Get the Registration number and model of the vehicles involved.Other passenger data: Remember to check for passengers in other vehicles, and make a note of details such as their age too.– Check if the driver is the registered owner of the vehicle and if not, get the owner’s details. – If it’s a commercial vehicle, make a note of the company details. – Insurance details – take a picture of their card. The information you collect can help establish the circumstances around the accident and ultimately who is to blame. Information is king – memory is a tricky thing so you want to collect as much information as you can while you’re still on the scene of the accident. Ensure nobody is smoking at the scene if there is a fuel or hazardous material leak as this can cause fires. If there is any indication of a leak then do your best to move everyone away to a safe distance as you wait for emergency support. If there is a commercial vehicle involved avoid any hazardous material, gasses or liquid that may have spilled. Check for fuel leaks as it’s a fire risk. Check for Fuel & Hazardous material leaks.You can remove big objects from the road to make it safer for everyone as long as you can do it safely. Sometimes it’s hard to think clearly after an accident but you need to be sure everyone stays well away from traffic on the road. This will help to prevent further accidents. Make sure hazard lights are switch on in all cars and if anyone has hazard road signs then put them in the road ahead of the accident scene. However, it’s usually anywhere from $200-$500. A police report must be filed if any personal injury has occurred or if the damages to either vehicle exceed a certain amount, which is different state to state. It’s best to report even minor accidents to the police so that you have a legal incident recorded and in some states it’s actually required. If anyone is injured, if the road is blocked, if you suspect the accident has been caused through drugs or drinking, or if property has been damaged, it’s best to call 9-1-1 immediately and ask for emergency services to come to the scene. Moving them can cause serious injury complications and even paralysis or death in extreme cases so let the professionals do their job. Wait for the ambulance or paramedics to arrive to stabilize anyone who is injured. Don’t move yourself or anyone else if you suspect a spinal or head injury unless you’re in immediate danger. Even if there are only minor injuries, make a note, as people may try to claim later on. Injuries are your first concern on yourself, passengers and then anyone else involved in the accident. Calming down will help to get your thoughts together. Take a minute to pull yourself together after the shock of the accident. This will help to reduce any potential vehicle fire risks. Be sure that every vehicle involved in the accident has been turned off. If other cars are able to they should also be moved to the side of the road. If it’s possible pull your vehicle off the road to a safe place. It’s a serious offence not to stop – even if the accident wasn’t your fault. Stop your vehicle as soon as you can do so safely. Because accidents can happen, no matter how careful you a driver you are, here is some straight forward advice that every car accident victim needs to take, from ’s team of highly experienced personal injury lawyers who have helped hundreds of people successfully navigate the legal issues caused by a vehicle accident.
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