Seriously…I just ate my airbag on the way to work this morning. Not at all what I expected for breakfast! Now, what do I do?
BE PREPARED
Have your cell phone with you and call 911 even if you think you are not injured. Adrenaline has kicked in…… AND you are grateful to be alive. The police will document events, get the insurance information you will need later and MAKE SURE you ARE ok.
Paper and pencil so you can jot down important information in the event the police are not able to come to the scene.
Insurance card to provide to police whether or not you are at fault. You can get a ticket / warning for not having this information available.
Medical conditions/ allergies to give to the hospital and or paramedics at the scene. You should keep this information with your identification or Insurance card.
Emergency contact information of someone who CARES! Not the name of the last flavor of the week you met last night.
Stay Calm
Sounds simple, but once you’ve tasted air bag, your inclination is to lose your marbles!
Stay in your car: How many people do you see getting out of their car on the freeway or in heavy traffic? Seriously, all those rubber neck drivers are NOT paying attention to what is in front of them.
Talk to the Police ONLY about what happened; tell the truth as YOU remember it…not as you heard it from others.
You will be asked…. “How are you?”….really?.... you’re just happy you are not DEAD! DO NOT SAY, “I’m OK”…because you have NO IDEA how you REALLY are! Adrenaline is keeping you from assessing the reality of how you truly are feeling….….Say…”shaken up”…because you ARE….seriously??? You‘re chomping on your airbag! And even if your airbag did not deploy….in a couple of days you’re GOING to feel like you just got hit by a Mac Truck…(unless you really did) OR feel like you ran a marathon (and you know you didn’t train for one!)
Exchange information with other driver: your driver’s license , insurance information, and get the same from them
Locate witnesses: this is so important. You would be surprised how versions of the accident will change once the other driver starts to talk to friends, family or THEIR insurance adjuster.
Take photos of damage to the cars, scene, injuries etc.: ah, technology…don’t you love it? Whip out the latest and greatest phone and document everything. Pictures don’t lie!
Call Your Insurance Company to Report the accident: Be careful and mindful of some of the “Don’ts listed below when calling YOUR company. Sad, but true, an Insurance company IS an Insurance Company EVEN IF THEY ARE YOUR OWN. Come on people, by now you have got to know, they are huge corporations in the business of MAKING money, not giving it away, especially to those who pay enormous and expensive premiums every year. Who do you think pays for the Cancun trip the big corporate mucky mucks take every spring?
Get Medical attention right away…no excuses…why? Insurance companies don’t care you cannot afford it or do not have private medical insurance. Their attitude is, if you are hurt, you will seek treatment. If you are in the state of Utah, most auto policies have a minimum of $3,000 medical coverage to take care of an ambulance and Emergency room visit, etc. Just understand that the insured responsible party will have to pay you for the value of your claim which includes all medical bills and treatment related to injuries from the accident.
Call your attorney: William Rawlings & Associates we will take care of everything; deal with the Insurance adjusters ; get your vehicle repaired, get you the medical attention you need; set up appointments with specialists or surgeons; we are here to take on all the stress while you concentrate on getting your life back on track.