I Witnessed A Car Accident: What Do I Do?

Car Accident Attorney in Los Angeles, CA

As a pedestrian, witnessing a car accident can be an extremely traumatic experience. In many instances, you might want to do your best to help, but it is very easy to cause more damage without intending to do so. If you’re wondering how you can play your part in helping out in a very troubling situation, the following is what you should do anytime you witness a car accident in Los Angeles or anywhere else.

Staying Safe

First things first, you have to make sure that you are safe. If the accident happened on the road, do not rush into the traffic to help. This is a good way to have your own accident and end up in the hospital. Make sure that you and others around you are safe and cannot get hurt. By ensuring your own safety, you will be in a better position to provide aid to others around you instead of jumping straight into the problem.

Calling for Help – 911

The second thing you need to do is to call for help. Calling 911 in this situation should be obvious. Whether anyone is seriously injured or not, make the call and inform the authorities on what just happened. Based on the details you provide and the severity of the situation, they will deploy ambulances, medics, and other personnel that can help the individual in the accident. Once you have made the call, stay with the people involved to ensure that help does reach them.

Keeping Calm and Collected

Seeing an accident can be extremely shocking but it is important to remain calm. By keeping your wits about you, you can work out a better plan to help the person in an emergency. Moreover, it will also ensure that you don’t end up doing something reckless that will cause more problems. Staying calm in such emergencies also makes it easier for you extend aid or help other people who are just as shocked as you are. Additionally, when people see others panicking around them, they tend to panic and get scared in addition.

Rendering Assistance

Give help to the people in the accident, but avoid offering medical aid yourself unless you are qualified and know what you are doing. It is very easy to unwittingly cause more damage to a person, especially someone who is unconscious and lying down. Do not attempt to raise them up or encourage them to walk around. Instead, provide verbal reassurance, assuring them that help is one the way, call someone for them, and have blankets or other resources available to make them comfortable.

Providing a Statement to the Authorities

Once the medics and the police show up, be prepared to give a statement regarding the accident. Your testimony is very important, helping to not only identify the nature of the accident but also the cause. In some cases, the testimony can be vital to helping a person file their insurance claim to get compensation. Once you have decided to become involved in the accident by helping out, you will have to provide a testimony or an account of what happened.

If you witnessed an accident recently, you should find out if the injured party has retained a Los Angeles personal injury attorney to provide your testimony to their claim for compensation as soon as you can.  Speak with The Law Offices of Jacob Emrani if you were in an accident or recently witnessed one and need to know what to do next.  Call us at (888) 952-2952 today!