What To Do If You Witness A Car Accident
When a catastrophic car accident happens right in front of you, be ready to take part in providing evidence. Your testimony will play a key part in helping the person who is not at fault receive fair benefits from the at-fault party. Sometimes, witness testimonies are the only defining line that supports the truth behind what occurred at the scene of the accident. You should wait to provide information before leaving after you’ve witnessed a crash. Also, you can visit the website Wattel & York to learn more information on how to handle a car accident. Here are additional steps that can help car accident eyewitnesses:
Check If Passengers Are Okay
After seeing a disastrous car accident, you should walk up to each car to see if the drivers are okay. If the car is on fire, let professionals handle it if you don’t know what to do in such a situation. Citizens have a duty to try and help others rather than let them die as a bystander.
If Passengers Are Injured, Call 911
If no one is able to call 911, you can be the first to call authorities and let them know that a terrible car accident happened. Explain that you are an eyewitness and that the car accident was so terrible that both drivers were injured. They will dispatch an ambulance and fire engine as soon as possible to help save the lives of everyone involved in the car accident. When the police arrive, you can help provide evidence of what happened by letting the police know what you saw. Try to answer all of their questions fully and with enough detail. This helps the police officers write a more accurate police report.
Snap Pictures If It’s A Hit and Run Incident
In some car accidents, the at-fault driver tries to run away from the scene of the accident. This is illegal and also can be punished by the law. If you notice the at-fault driver trying to leave the scene, take your phone out and take pictures of the car and the license plate as soon as possible so the police can later I.D. the driver.
Provide Contact Information
The car accident victims will need your help when trying to obtain a fair settlement with their attorney’s help. Your statement of what happened will be used as evidence to prove that the other party was at fault for the accident. The drivers’ attorneys will contact you later to find out more about what you saw. The information you provide will help everyone involved know what happened.
What Else Do I Need To Do After Witnessing a Car Accident?
After providing your contact details, you simply need to wait until an attorney contacts you for more information. You may want to write down exactly what you remember to make it easier for you to provide accurate information. The car accident details may get blurry, so recording what you saw can help the victims. An attorney will call and question you at some point to gather your opinion and may even ask you to record an official testimony. You can talk to a car accident attorney to learn about any other ways you can help.
