If you’re involved in an accident in West Virginia, you might think that an officer or emergency help will arrive right away or that your insurance company will be able to handle the details of the aftermath for you. While there are things that these professionals can do, you have a few responsibilities as well to ensure that details are properly reported and that everyone is as safe as possible.
Injuries
As soon as it’s safe to do so, you should check yourself and any passengers for injuries that could be present. If possible, call for help so that an ambulance and other rescue personnel can professionally assess every person at the scene. Avoid moving if you feel that you’re injured, and don’t move other people who are involved in the car crash unless they are in immediate danger. Sometimes, the true nature of injuries is not immediately evident, and moving someone could make things worse.
Information
After you’ve been examined for any car accident injuries, you can then provide personal information to a police officer so that they can contact other drivers who are involved. Some of the details that you want to include with the information that’s exchanged are your name, phone number, insurance company, and the type of vehicle. Most of the time, your insurance company can help with filing a claim in order to obtain proper compensation whether you’re at fault or not in the accident.
Accidents can be a frightening experience and can occur at any time. In the event that you’re involved in a car accident, try to remain as calm as possible while getting to safety and calling for help.
