Whether you are involved in a car wreck or an accident while driving a commercial vehicle, any crash is a scary and serious event. You have important legal rights under Texas law, but its YOUR responsibility to protect those rights. You can protect yourself before an accident by driving safely, driving defensively and always wearing a seat belt. You can protect yourself after an accident by following the following tips.
What should I do immediately following a car accident?
1.Try to stay calm. After any accident, you are going to have a lot of adrenaline released into your bloodstream. Fight the urge to act on impulse or make irrational decisions.
2.Check for injuries. Check yourself and then check on the other occupants of your vehicle. If there is ANY chance that anyone may be injured, you should immediately call 911 and request an ambulance.
3.Protect yourself, other drivers, and the accident scene. Following a collision, if you have a safety device or signal, you should place it an appropriate distance from the collision in order to warn other drivers, but ONLY if it is safe to do so.
4.Call the police. Remember: NEVER admit fault to the police. Simply tell them what happened, answer their questions, and cooperate with their requests. They will assist you in exchanging information with the other driver.
5.Seek medical attention. Remember that serious injuries don’t always result in immediate pain or bleeding. If you need an ambulance – use it. Don’t take chances with your health.
6.Contact an attorney. Most people don’t know what their legal rights are after an accident, nor do they know how to enforce those rights. An honest and knowledgeable attorney is your best ally in protecting yourself in the unfortunate (and almost unavoidable) event of a car wreck.
To schedule a free case evaluation with attorney Stewart J. Guss, call our office today at 281-954-3799 or send us an email through our online contact form.
(Article source: https://attorneyguss.com/after-the-crash-an-auto-accident-primer/)
