Cars have really pushed society forward and allow us to do a lot of things. We can travel almost anywhere we want while remaining as comfortable as possible. We can take family road trips out into the country, simply make our way into work or even visit some of the most remote sites in the country. A lot of people treat their cars almost as though they are friends; they are constantly being cleaned, parts are being replaced and they are being given glow-ups. Driving and other car-related activities make up a way of life for some people and its easy to see why; driving is incredibly fun and opens up so many avenues.
However, cars can be dangerous as well. Crashes and collisions contribute to a high number of injuries and deaths every single year and a lot of the time, theres not even a lot we can do about that; of course, a lot of accidents are caused by reckless driving but on other occasions, theres not much that can be done- bad weather conditions could be a contributing factor, for example. However, no matter the cause we still need to know what to do in the aftermath of a crash; what do you do in the following days, weeks and months in terms of sorting things and getting legal details in place? Dont worry, thats why Im here today; heres my guide to the aftermath of a car crash.
A common occurrence that arises more than you may think with car crashes is the case of a borrowed car being crashed. Say for example that you lent your friend your car for a drive or for a day and they crashed it; who does the blame then lie with? What happens if the owner loaned out their car to a bad driver? Well, there are a number of things that need to be considered in a situation like this. First of all, the real source of blame has to be established. There will most likely be both internal and legal disputes over who was at fault and will have to pay for damages; was it the person who borrowed the car for crashing it, or the owner of the car for loaning it out in the first place? In the majority of cases, the person who drives the car is deemed to be at fault- they are still driving, after all, and they are the ones at fault for the physical crash. They also tend to be covered under most insurance policies so should be able to sort it out even if they were borrowing a vehicle.
Things might get a little more complicated in some cases, however, and you might have to resort to calling a lawyer or legal firm. Even though you might not believe youre at fault in a situation like this (you may have just been trying to be friendly by loaning out your car) other people might disagree and come at you with a legal case. In this situation you need to be on your toes as best you can and for that reason, if you get an inkling you may be under investigation Id advise speaking to a lawyer. Theyll know whats best in any traffic accident situation, will be able to give you the necessary knowledge and theyll make you feel more comfortable as well. There are a variety of different law firms out there and some are better at dealing with traffic cases than others; for this reason, you need to make sure you do a decent bit of research and find the best people for your case. This will put you in a much better position moving forward.
In the aftermath of a car crash, you also need to think about your own mental wellbeing. If youve managed to escape relatively unscratched in physical terms then youre lucky- hopefully, any injuries were minimal and you have made a full recovery. However, even if you have, your mental health could still be in a delicate place. Accidents of this nature can result in a wide variety of mental illnesses; depression, anxiety or even post-traumatic stress disorder. All of these conditions can have really long-lasting effects on anyone who encounters them and you need to look after yourself. If you are worried you have become one of these people, it could be worth going to see a doctor about it. Youll most likely need help and theres no shame in that. There are lots of different medications for people who have gone through ordeals like this; if you are suffering mentally, Id also recommend staying off the roads for a while. Driving again may only be fueling your anxiety and you could do with some time off.
Directly after a car crash, you need to make sure that you exchange contact details with anyone who was involved. This is really important- if youre not at fault, for example, you dont want to let anyone get away without paying for damages they are liable for. After making sure everyone involved is safe and healthy, you need to get the contact details of the driver in the other vehicle. This means you can contact them (either by phone or email) at a later stage and sort out who is in charge of what required payments. Conversations about insurance policies will take place and hopefully, everything will be sorted out.
Going for a medical examination right after an accident is very important too. It may seem at the time that you dont have any injuries- you might not even feel particularly sore. However, you need to make sure that you go and get checked anyway; you never know what kinds of injuries may be hiding beneath the surface. Even something that wouldnt seem too serious, to begin with, could end up being deadly if left unchecked- internal bleeding, for example. Going for a medical exam is vital so make sure you do it!