With everyone leading busy lives, being prepared for a car accident is probably the furthest thing from your mind. That’s until life throws you a curve ball and you’re involved in a car accident.

When a car accident happens, it can be difficult to know what to do first. Do you call 911? Do you call the car accident helpline? Should I see an Atlanta personal injury doctor?

Read the following tips so that you and the people you care about will know what to do after a car accident.

Take Care of Yourself and Others After a Car Accident

Your first step after a car accident is to assess your injuries. If you’re injured or the road is too busy to safely get out of your car, wait for help to arrive.

If you’re okay and you deem it safe, check passengers in your vehicle and the occupants of other cars involved to make sure they’re okay.

Once you’ve checked on everyone, encourage all parties involved to move their cars off the road, if possible. You don’t want to keep cars in the middle of traffic, endangering other drivers. In many states, it’s the law to move your car to the side of the road if you’re involved in a fender bender where no one is injured.

Exchange Information After a Car Accident

By this time someone most likely will have called the police, but make sure someone has called. If the other driver doesn’t want the police to come it’s especially important to call the police because this may mean they don’t have everything they need to be on the road legally.

While the police are on the way, exchange information with the other driver and talk to witnesses. Encourage witnesses to stay to talk to the police. Make sure you don’t talk with the other driver about who was at fault. The police will handle that when they arrive.

This is also a good time to use your smart phone and take pictures of the scene. Take pictures of the damage to your car and the other cars involved from every angle. You can even take pictures of things that might get lost with just pen and paper like tag numbers or insurance cards.

Your Next Steps After a Car Accident

• Go to a doctor as soon as possible. Find a doctor that specializes in treating car accident injuries.

• Call your insurance company, whether or not you think you are at fault. It is their job to help you, so they will know exactly what you should do.

• Only talk to a representative of another insurance company if your personal injury attorney or insurance company knows about it.

• Don’t rush to settle with an insurance company. Even minor injuries can rear their head weeks or months after your accident. Insurance companies know this and will try to get you to settle early. Don’t let them.

• Hire an Atlanta car accident attorney. A good attorney will protect your interests when dealing with insurance companies and the other party in the accident.

The list of things to do after a car accident can be overwhelming. Fast Help specializes in connecting car accident victims with the right personal injury attorneys and doctors so they can get the answers to their questions in one phone call. Our car accident helpline is available 24/7. Give us a call at (404) 592-0318.