If you have been in an accident, you will know the horrible feeling that takes over your entire body. You are no longer able to think straight. Your only thought is: let it be a nightmare. But you never wake up.
The car is still on one side in the ditch. The road is still a slippery mess, and you still do not know what went wrong. Everything is a blurry mess in your mind. There are five steps you should take after a car accident.
Some will change depending on the situation.
Step 1:
Forget about the car for the moment. It is horrible to see your new Porsche wrecked. But remember, it is a machine. You are a person. A person always trumps a machine. Make sure that you are okay. If it was a particularly nasty crash, check for any open wounds or signs of internal bleeding. Do the same with anyone else that was in the car. If you are like me, you will already be worrying about the cost, the damage and whether the crash was your fault. But forget all that. You and your passengers are the main priority. You should always go for a check-up with a doctor the next day no matter how fine you think you are. Encourage anyone who was in the car to do the same.
Step 2:
Take a deep breath. It is important to calm your mind and body. Going into shock is not an uncommon effect of being involved in a car accident. You may be running on pure adrenaline, and that is not a good state to be in. You must do everything you can to relax yourself.
Step 3:
Assess your surroundings. If you can get out the car safely then do so. If not stay put. Obviously, if you have crashed on a motorway or busy road, it will be safer to stay inside the vehicle. At this point either you or an onlooker will have called the emergency surfaces, and they will be on their way.
Step 4:
If you can, make sure anyone else involved is okay. Help them if you can. Do not worry about swapping insurance details or blame. The most important thing is to make sure everyone is safe. Once the emergency surfaces arrive, they will assess the situation. Those who need to be taken to the hospital will be. You may have to speak to the police but remember to remain calm. Chances are the accident was not your fault.
Step 5:
This depends on how bad the accident was.
Either
The car is in a safe enough condition to drive home. It does not need to go to a garage, and you have only damaged certain areas of the vehicle. It may not be difficult to fix. If you have only damaged the windscreen, you may be able to find a company online that offers windscreen replacement services. Not everything has to cost a fortune.
Or
Your car has gone to a mechanic or garage to be assessed and then repaired. It could be a right off, or it could be fixable. The choice will eventually be yours but remember not to panic. It is after all, nothing more than a piece of equipment. If you were unharmed, then that is all that matters.
