Getting involved in a car accident can be terrifying and disorienting, even in a bustling city like Glasgow. Therefore, taking immediate action after such accidents is crucial in protecting yourself, dealing with the aftermath more smoothly, and complying with claims time limits. In this article, we’ll walk through what essential actions should be taken immediately following such accidents – from ensuring everyone’s safety to handling Personal Injury Claims Glasgow or insurance claims; we hope this information gives you the confidence to handle whatever the future may hold for you!
A Checklist For the Unexpected Motor Vehicle Accident:
Here is a brief car accident procedure checklist compiled by our panel of No Win No Fee Solicitors Glasgow for safely handling the aftermath of an accident;
Stop Safely:
In an accident situation, it’s vital that your vehicle be stopped as soon as possible while ensuring your safety. Seek a spot away from traffic where you can pull over safely to minimise further accidents and collisions.
Turn Off Your Engine:
Once safely stopped, immediately shut off your engine to avoid further risk, such as fire, in case your car has sustained any damages.
Turn On Hazard Lights:
Turning on your hazard lights is vitally important – this serves to warn other drivers about an impending danger, prompting them to use caution around your vehicle and possibly reduce accidents due to its activation. It could save lives!
Get Out of Your Car:
As soon as it is safe, exit your vehicle immediately, but inspect for oncoming traffic before opening its door; this will protect both yourself and other road users alike.
Verify All Victims Are Safe:
Once out of the car, check on all those involved in the collision to ensure everyone involved is unhurt and not suffering serious injuries. If someone is hurt in a serious way, try not to move them unless necessary, as doing so could worsen their condition and deteriorate any possible injuries further.
Call the Police:
It is essential that any accident, no matter its perceived magnitude, be reported immediately to law enforcement officials for proper management and assistance if injured parties require medical care. Furthermore, a recorded police report could prove invaluable when making Car Accident Claims Glasgow later on.
Call for Medical Help:
What to do after a car accident injury? Should an accident cause injuries to anyone involved, medical assistance must be sought immediately. In Glasgow, call 111 for non-life-threatening situations and 911 in emergencies; even minor injuries should be promptly evaluated so treatment can start faster.
Exchange Vehicle Details:
Involved drivers in an accident should exchange vehicle and insurance details such as their names, addresses, phone numbers, registration numbers and insurance information; make sure every driver involved in the accident has your data. Make sure they return their details to you as well.
Ask Witnesses About What Occurred:
If anyone saw an accident take place, gather their contact details. Their accounts could provide invaluable insight into what took place and be beneficial if any future disputes or legal matters arise.
Take Photos:
After an accident occurs, take photos of everything involved – including both vehicles involved and road conditions or signs. Doing this will allow investigators to more quickly establish who was at fault and provide useful evidence when discussing insurance claims.
Don’t Admit Fault or Apologise:
Although it is natural to feel sorry after an accident occurs, avoid admitting fault or offering any apologies at the scene – these statements could later be used against you, even if they weren’t true. Let police and insurance companies decide who was to blame.
Contact Your Insurance Provider:
Contact your insurer immediately following an accident to inform them. Give all relevant details, as well as photos you took, including those taken of injuries sustained in an accident, so they can determine the next steps, such as how to make claims if necessary and the possible duration of the insurance claim.
What Should I Record At the Accident Scene?
At an accident scene, specific details must be recorded so as to better assess and address what transpired and deal with insurance matters. Here’s what should be documented:
Vehicle Information: Record all details regarding all involved vehicles, such as their make, model, colour and number plates, for accuracy purposes. You should take pictures as evidence.
Time and Date of accident: Write down the exact time and Date of the crash for future reference. Keeping an exact log can prove extremely useful when investigating potential damages caused by it.
Driving Conditions: Record weather, lighting and road quality conditions at the time of an accident, such as whether wet roads were being traversed and their condition. Also, include details regarding whether wet spots occurred and their severity on subsequent surface integrity assessments.
Damage: Description and Location (the amount of damage done to vehicles and where); specify this in detail. For instance, if the nearside front wing and door were affected (“nearside” refers to your left-side car while “offside” refers to its driver-side counterpart).
Injury after car accident: Record all accident injuries caused by accidents to drivers, passengers or pedestrians.
Witnesses: Gather all names and contact info of witnesses that could provide valuable insight into what occurred.
Photos: Use your phone to take photographs of the scene, showing the positions of vehicles involved and any damage sustained to those cars.
Do You Have to Report a Minor Car Accident in Glasgow to Police Forces?
Glasgow does not mandate reporting every minor car accident to police within 24 hours, particularly those without injuries or significant property damage. However, certain instances do necessitate reporting. Here are two of those scenarios in which you must notify authorities as quickly as possible after experiencing an accident with a car:
1. If anyone is injured: No matter how minor their injury might seem.
2. If a property has been damaged: This refers to instances when something other than the cars involved has been affected, such as fencing or street lamps being broken in an accident.
3. When an Animal Is Hurt: If the accident injured either a pet or farm animal, report it immediately.
4. When A Driver Doesn’t Stop: When another driver involved flees after having caused an accident without providing details for reporting purposes – Report this immediately as well!
When in doubt about whether to report an accident, calling 101 for car accident advice can help guide you as they will know what steps need to be taken next. It is always better to be safe than sorry by reporting anything related to an accident if there’s doubt!