Ask any lawyer, and they’ll tell you that when an auto accident happens, it doesn’t just affect the persons involved from a physical standpoint. It can also affect them from an emotional perspective. If you’ve caused an auto accident or been a witness to an accident where the victims were physically injured and under a noticeable amount of stress, there are a couple of things you can do to alleviate the intensity of the situation. Always remember the golden rule of auto accidents: Whether they occur in Salt Lake City or along the West Coast, never leave the scene of an accident that you’re involved in.
Immediately Check on the Passengers
Perhaps you made a common driving mistake that caused an auto accident — such as forgetting to check your vehicle’s blind spots before switching lanes on the Salt Lake City freeway. You side-swipe a car, resulting in a three-car pile up, including a few injuries. If you’re not physically injured, the first thing you should do isn’t call a lawyer. Check on the passengers of the other vehicles involved in the crash. If the passengers of the other car are unconscious, experiencing back/neck pain or have been impaled by a foreign object, don’t move them; wait until medical help arrives.
If You’re an Auto Accident Witness
If you’ve been a witness to a hit-and-run auto accident, there are quite a few things that you can do to alleviate the stress of injured passengers. If there is obvious, life-threatening injury to the passengers of the car, immediately call 911. Then, if the inhabitants of the vehicle are in immediate danger, help them exit the vehicle as safely as possible. Remember as many details as you can in case a lawyer needs them later.
If you’ve witnessed an auto accident in a heavily trafficked and/or populated area (such as downtown Salt Lake City), help the injured passengers get to the side of the road as soon as possible. But remember, don’t try to be a hero. Make sure that you stay safe while helping any injured passengers so that you don’t become injured yourself.