The moments right after a car collision are filled with shock, confusion, and sometimes pain. Understanding how to act when your car was involved in an accident helps you prepare to do everything right if one happens. You need to protect yourself, your property, and your rights.

This is where this article comes in – we included some of the most important steps to take in the aftermath of a car accident.

Knowing these steps beforehand will save you from additional stress and a moment of panic when you are unsure of what to do next in an already very hectic environment.

Assess the Accident Scene and Other People Involved

The most important thing to do after getting in an accident is making sure everyone involved gets emergency medical attention if necessary. This goes for you, any passengers in your car, other drivers and passengers in other vehicles, pedestrians, or anyone else affected at the scene. Do not put yourself in more risk by stepping out into traffic or letting your anger get the better of you. It is also important to check if the incident site is safe (i.e. no gasoline leak).

Contact the Police and Emergency Services

Call 911 or other emergency service numbers to report the accident and get an ambulance on scene as quickly as possible. If the crash was just a minor fender bender, you should still notify the authorities. This is especially true if your vehicles or any parts are blocking traffic or making the roadway dangerous or difficult to navigate in any way.

Take Pictures and Other Details

It helps to take photos and record other details about the scene of the collision. For example, get a picture of a cracked bumper, dent, scrape, any damage to signs, bushes, or other surrounding objects, and the damage on the other vehicles involved.

At the same time, get the name and contact information of the other party involved, their insurance policy carriers, and ask witnesses for their details, too. In the case of an insurance claim or legal case, these bystanders may help considerably. If the police are there or on their way, they can also gather this information.

Share Dashcam Footage

Tell police officers that you have dashcam footage and share it with them if necessary. This is one of the best ways to protect your rights and make sure that the truth comes out about who caused the accident and how everything occurred. This is important not only for potential legal charges like reckless driving or running a red light but also for any insurance claims or civil legal action.

Dashcam footage provides the strongest evidence of what really happened during a car accident. With a quality setup like the BlackVue DR900S series dashcam, you get true 4K UHD visuals of everything in front of and behind your car. You can download the footage instantly via the direct Wi-Fi connection or over the Cloud. 

Prepare yourself to act in the best way possible after a car crash in order to minimize stress, expenses, and legal problems. Keep your cool, get necessary medical care, contact the authorities promptly, take pictures and record video with the best dashcam technology around. 

If you do all of these things, you can get over the horrible experience more quickly and efficiently.