What Should I Do If I’’m In A Car Accident?
If you were in a car accident, it's likely that you're feeling confused and uncertain about the next step. You might even be in pain or have an injury. So what do you do? The first thing to do is to get help, and the quickest way to do that is with a phone call. Depending on where your smartphone's located, your first call should be either 911 if it's nearby or 855-411-CARS (2277) for free roadside assistance by AAA of Northern California (Southern California).
Fortunately, I’m here for a second opinion when it comes to what should happen after that. Your best course of action is to call the police.
If you don't have a police report, it's going to be difficult to get compensation for your damages, which may be costly. Here's why: By law, insurance companies have up to two years from when your injury ended (or should have) to pay medical bills and most types of damages. In order for them to make sure they're completely covered, they'll check both your records AND the records of any other party involved in the accident.
If you don't have a police report, their insurance adjusters may assume you’re trying to get away with something and deny your claims. If you do have a police report, it should be relatively easy to prove that your injuries are real (or were real at some point) and that they’re causing ongoing damage to you.
And please don't think that even if you live in a no-fault state, it's okay not to call the police. No-fault insurance only covers you when you’re in an accident with another driver—not pedestrians and not your own vehicle.
The police will come out to the scene and take down all of the information about what happened. First, they'll probably want to be sure that no one is hurt or needs medical attention. Then, they'll interview the drivers involved in the accident and ask questions like “what happened?“, “how fast were you going?” or “did you see it coming?” Finally, they'll make a report of everything that was said during their investigation and give copies to all involved parties.
The police report will list all the facts of what happened that day as well as any witnesses' statements and any physical injuries that occurred. At this point, most insurance companies are obliged to look at the report and compare it with what actually happened and make a claim decision.
So there you go! You’ve called the police, you've gotten your car repaired (or replaced), and now you can sleep well knowing that your injuries are being taken seriously and that they'll be answered.
Date: Saturday, January 11th, 2012. Time: 4:35 PM. Place: On Interstate 80 in California . Situation: I'm travelling southbound on the road to Yosemite . I'm in the middle lane when, out of nowhere, a black SUV in my left lane cuts me off and veers into my lane. I have to swerve to the right to avoid a collision with him. When I regain control of the wheel, I look in my rearview mirror. The black SUV has pulled over and is waiting for me to pass him. Realizing that he was likely distracted by his cell phone (and possibly using it) while on the freeway, I decide to pull up behind him (if he's parked or pulled over completely). Instead, he proceeds to whip around another vehicle into the fast lane - all without signaling. I slow down and give the guy plenty of space. As I'm driving, I look over my shoulder to my right and see that he's still in the fast lane WITHOUT SIGNALING! He proceeds to cut off TWO vehicles in a row (both moving much faster than he is). Unbelievably, this guy thinks it's perfectly okay to put everyone's lives in danger!
I'm no saint. In fact, there was a time when my phone was the first thing I'd grab upon my morning awakening. I'd pull up some music and get ready for a day of work. And, while I wasn't listening to it, I was browsing through Twitter and Facebook . Thank God for smartphones. Otherwise, I wouldn't be able to tell you what happened yesterday.
Date: Monday, January 26th, 2012 . Time: 2:45 PM. Place: On Interstate Highway 80 in California . Situation: Because of the weather at my apartment – mild spring-like with all the flowers blooming – I decided to get on the road and drive to my favourite mall in Merced . Traffic was light on the freeway so I used the time to take a nap while listening to music. When I woke up, the highway was still empty so I decided to pull over and take another nap.
About 20 minutes later, I started to get drowsy and stuffy. My eyes started to close. And then I woke up again. But now I'd lost the music in my car. So when I finally came to, the car was moving, but it wasn't going anywhere: no forward movement at all! In fact, the other lane was empty too! A quick glance in my rearview mirror showed me that the driver of the car in front of me was also asleep...
I quickly pulled over into that empty lane. There were a few cars back there…but no trucks (for which I would have to bail out anyway). And I thought about pulling over into the shoulder (which has a stop sign), but I decided not to. That shoulder doesn't have stopping lanes within it, and it's at an angle to the road. The last thing I wanted was to be stuck in neutral with my car in that position.
Fortunately, since the freeway wasn't moving, I could pull off and go stand right behind my car (and sleep until it moved).
Conclusion: While driving, I must be mentally alert! Put the phone down and pay attention to your driving. That's common sense. But how does that relate to you, Nicole?
I'm glad you asked! Here are some tips for those of us who are sleep deprived:
1) When you need to take a nap, try a natural sleep aid such as taking a walk, sipping on warm tea (with some lemon in it if possible), or taking a warm shower. Also, try getting exercise during the day to tire you out at night.
2) If an artificial sleep aid is necessary , find something non-addictive (Vitamin D helps, too).