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What to Do If You Have Been a Victim of a Distracted Driving Accident
Between 2016 and 2018, there were over 900,000 crashes caused by distracted drivers in the US alone. Around the world, people often find themselves the victims of a distracted driving accident through no fault of their own.
If this has happened to you, you might be feeling scared and vulnerable, not knowing where to turn. Read on for definitive information on what your next steps should be.
What Is Distracted Driving?
Distracted driving is defined as any activity that takes the driver’s attention away from driving. This could be texting while driving, eating or drinking behind the wheel, or adjusting the navigation or stereo system within the car.
Texting is often the most dangerous distraction. Sending or reading a text will take the driver’s eyes off the road for about five seconds. This may not seem like much but, when traveling at 55mph, that can take a car the length of a football field.
When drivers are distracted, they are clearly more likely to get into accidents, endangering not just the lives of themselves and their passengers, but also the lives of those in other cars or on the sidewalk. In 2018 alone, distracted driving killed 2,841 people.
What to Do After a Distracted Driving Accident
If you’ve been the victim of an accident from a distracted driver, it’s obviously an incredibly stressful time. The first thing you need to do is make sure that you are physically taken care of. Go to a hospital and seek medical treatment for any injuries you might have sustained.
The next step after having a crash with a distracted driver is to get a copy of the police report. Someone at the scene will likely have called the police. From the report, you can see if there were any witnesses and request their contact information.
The next step is to find a personal injury lawyer. Make sure that they make the prosecutor in charge of your case is aware of any of your injuries. This will help to stop the defense lawyer of the distracted driver from negotiating the case down to something less serious.
When it comes to the aftermath of a distracted driving accident, you will also likely be dealing with an insurance company. Discuss your options with your lawyer to see what would be most beneficial to your case. Don’t agree to anything with your insurance company until you’ve had a second opinion, because it can affect how the law case plays out.
Even well after the accident has occurred, feel free to seek professional help from a therapist at any time. You’ve been through a lot and it may have had a lasting impact on your mental health. It’s always best to seek professional support, rather than trying to tough it out on your own.
Keen to Learn More?
Being involved in a distracted driving accident is a turbulent time for anyone. No one should have to go through something like that, but it’s reassuring to have a guide of what to do if the worst should happen. Remember there are those out there to help you through every step of the process, from legal support to medical and mental health aid.
If this information on what to do after a distracted driving accident was helpful, you might benefit from some of our lifestyle articles. Browse through them for tips on everything from relationships to home and garden.
What You Should Do If You Are a Victim in a Car Accident
With so many cars on the road in the United States it is no wonder that there are so many car accidents. Statistics show that there are more than 70 million cars on the road at any one time and the average number of car accidents in the U.S. every year is 6 million. Unfortunately more than 90 people die in car accidents every day while 3 million people are injured every year. Also, around 2 million drivers in car accidents experience permanent injuries every year.
With these terrible statistics being the reality, each of us needs to understand that being in a car accident is likely at some time during our lives. And, with this fact in mind, we need to know what to do if we are a victim of a car accident.
IF you find that you have been a victim in a car accident, you should contact a reputable law firm to understand your rights and how you can get compensation for your injuries, pain and suffering, medical bills and loss of wages. Calling the law firm will also help you to learn more about these types of cases.
Here are some of the vital things you should do immediately after or as soon as you are able following a car accident.
Call an ambulance
If it is a serious accident you need to immediately call an ambulance. Chances are someone including you might be seriously injured. You need to have medical personnel there as quickly as possible. So do not assume that someone else has already called, take the lead and do it. The operator will let you know if an ambulance is on the way and will also take specific details about anyone you know who might be injured so the emergency medical team will be prepared.
Contact the police
Calling the police is a vital step after you have been in a car accident. A policeman can function as a credible independent recorder of events. The policeman will do a police report based on what he or she observes at the scene. This will include the state and position of the vehicles, if any of the drivers is under the influence, what any witnesses have observed, and the exact location of the accident. Because a policeman is professionally trained to write these type of reports, they can be admitted into evidence in court as an accurate record of the events. This report will also be used when you file a personal injury lawsuit against the driver who caused the accident.
Get the contact details of everyone involved in the accident
You should locate anyone who was involved in the accident and take down all of their important details. These should include their name, address, phone number, license, license plate, email address and insurance information. You should take pictures of their license, insurance card and license plate as well.
Make your own personal account of what happened
While at the accident scene make a personal account of everything that happened. It is best to record this into your phone and take pictures of everything as well. Memories are faulty and with the likely trauma you are experiencing there is a good chance that you will forget important details about the accident. Instead of trying to depend on your memory later make notes about what happened as soon as you are able. These notes can decide your personal injury case later. You should also get the contact details of any witnesses to the accident.
Being aware of the important things to do if you are a victim in a car accident can make the difference in the outcome of your health and personal injury case.
