Auto Accident Scene: Securing Safety

En Español

There are several important safety measures that should be taken immediately following the occurrence of an automobile accident. When presented with the chaotic situation of being involved in a car wreck, many often forget to perform simple safety measures, some of which may be life-saving. In an effort to ensure your safety in the event of an auto accident, the Chicago auto accident attorneys of Zneimer & Zneimer, P.C. provide the following guidance to our local residents.

• Tip 1. Check the Status of All Persons Involved. Sometimes injuries sustained in an accident are not immediately apparent. What may appear to be a bump or an ache, may actually be a more serious injury, such as an internal injury or muscle strain. If anyone involved in the accident has concerns over the possibility of an injury, call for emergency medical assistance.
• Tip 2. Turn off the car and Apply Emergency Brake. Although it seems simple enough, motorists often forget the importance of shutting off their vehicle and applying the emergency brake following an auto accident.
• Tip 3. Turn on your hazard lights and/or headlights. It is always good safety practice to turn on your hazards lights following an auto accident. Also, if an accident occurs at a time when it has begun to get dark outside, you may want to turn on your headlights, if necessary to safely exit the vehicle or to protect the safety of the parties involved in the accident.
• Tip 4. Check surrounding before exiting vehicle. Devastating injury and even death can occur while an occupant exits their vehicle following an accident as a result of their vehicle or body being subsequently struck by an oncoming vehicle.
• Tip 5. Move away from vehicles to safe area. You should be far enough away from the vehicle to avoid injury in the event the vehicle erupts into flames or an explosion occurs. Further, you should position yourself off to the side of the roadway, but behind the last vehicle involved in the accident, to avoid injury in the event an oncoming vehicle strikes one of the stationary vehicles.
• Tip 6. Call Police. Do not assume that the authorities have been notified by witnesses or occupants of the other vehicle. Even if the accident was minor, be sure that the incident is properly documented in a police report.

The Chicago car accident attorneys at Zneimer & Zneimer, P.C. know that every automobile accident is different, and that some of these tips may be inapplicable, or impossible due to injury, or do not encompass extraordinary types of accidents. Consequently, the tips herein are provided by our accident attorneys as general guide.

To discuss your specific legal matter with one of our experienced Chicago accident lawyers, contact us today online at our website, or at 773-516-4100 for a Free Personal Injury Consultation. For more information on what to do following an auto accident, see Auto accident scene: Preserving evidence.