What to Do in a Single-Vehicle Accident

Unlike traffic accidents in which two or more vehicles collide on the road, single-vehicle accidents are those in which a single car leaves the road, hits an animal/fallen rock, rolls over, or experiences some other trauma. Whatever the cause, being involved in a single-vehicle accident can be terrifying, complicated, and, unfortunately, expensive. In this blog post, we’ll discuss what you should do if you find yourself in a single-vehicle accident.

Keep Calm and Get to Safety

This can be incredibly hard to do after you’ve hit a deer or been in a roll-over, but it’s important that you keep your wits about you as much as possible to ensure that you handle the situation properly. If the accident was particularly serious, and you believe staying in the car may be dangerous (if you notice smoke or gas leakage, for example), try to get yourself to safety. If you’re physically unable to leave the car but can get to your phone, call 911.

Seek Medical Attention, if Needed

Check yourself for injuries and take a moment to consider whether you’re seeing and thinking clearly (non-visible injuries like concussions can often be overlooked). If you have any injuries that need immediate attention, call for an ambulance.

Get a Police Report

Even if the accident is relatively minor, it’s important that you call your local authorities and get a police report. This can be quite helpful when dealing with your insurance company, as it may provide evidence to illustrate exactly what happened and/or that it occurred due to no fault of your own.

Be Forthcoming but Cautious

When speaking with the police, it’s important that you’re careful about what you say. This is not to say that you should withhold information, but you should take care not to accidentally implicate yourself in things like negligent driving or driving under the influence. Even if you think the accident was your fault, you don’t want to admit fault right away.

Take Photos and Notes, as Needed

It may be valuable to immediately record what you remember from what happened, including any strange experiences you may have had with the vehicle before the accident occurred. In some cases, single-vehicle accidents can be caused by a vehicle malfunction, and it’s important that you have something to support the argument that it was not related to driver negligence or impairment.

Seek the Help of a Professional Car Accident Attorney

Due to the complexities involved in dealing with car insurance companies and other accident-related issues, it’s important that you have the legal support of an experienced auto collision lawyer like those at SMS Auto. Your attorney will be able to help you navigate the situation properly and get the best possible result from your insurance company so that you can get back to life and back on the road.

For a free consultation with one of our experienced accident lawyers, call us today at (713) 574-5089.