Unfortunately, car accidents happen and they are more frequent than you may think. If you have been involved in a fatal car accident then it is important to try not to panic and put stress on yourself. You will have been through enough already to last you a lifetime, so, you don’t need any extra pressure. Try and stay as calm and in control as you can. Even if you are feeling frantic inside it is important to stay as at ease and relaxed as possible inside. When you are calm on the inside you can physically and mentally handle anything that gets thrown at you. So staying calm is a very important thing to remember after being involved in a fatal car accident. Here are 8 other steps you should take after being involved in a fatal car accident.

Dealing with a fatal car accident

Call the Emergency Services

No matter what time of day the accident has happened if you know the accident has caused fatalities emergency services will need to be on the scene, and you can put your trust and faith in knowing that they will be there as soon as they can. Emergency services reaction times to fatal car accidents are usually really good as they are aware of the importance of time. After a car accident every second matters, so, get yourself away from the accident before trying to do anything else. After calling emergency services you can assess the situation but please do not try and assist anybody

Assess, look but don’t touch

Moving somebody the wrong way can give them further injuries. Trying to move a trapped person can paralyze them, so, even though you are only trying to help you should not touch anybody other than yourself, even if they are asking you to help them. Assess where people are and try and get as much information together as you can so that when emergency services turn up you can relay this information to them as quickly and concisely as possible. Your account and recollection may be all they have to work with so it is important to assess what has happened and how it happened.

Ensure your safety

When emergency services are on their way it is time to think about yourself and get to safety. Try and get away from a scene or collision as quickly as you can as you do not know what might happen with damaged cars or vehicles. Once you are a safe distance away from the accident it is time to assess any visible injuries you may have. Even if you don’t have any visible injuries, cuts or wounds you should always get checked over by a medical professional.

Getting looked at

You must get seen by a doctor at the hospital, or by a medical professional on the scene of the accident. Internal injuries can be very difficult to diagnose and a medically trained professional may see warning signs with you that you might have missed. After a fatal car accident, you will most definitely be in shock and so it is important to get treated for this as soon as possible.

Contact Insurance companies

After you have been checked over it is wise to contact your insurance providers. Whether this is your medical insurers or your auto policy provider (if you were driving a car that was involved in a fatal accident). Failing to contact insurers may cause issues later down the line, so contact your insurers, let them know what has happened and provide them with an in-depth and accurate report.

Heal and share

Once you have contacted all the relevant agencies and people you next need to start the healing process. Over time your emotional wounds will heal. Sharing what you have been through and talking it out will leave you feeling more focused, and it will provide you with some clarity. Healing is a process that takes time, it will not happen overnight, it can take weeks, months or years, but there is one thing that is certain and that is that you will get through this and come out even stronger.

Seek compensation

If you were seriously physically or emotionally damaged as a result of a fatal car accident then you are well within your rights to claim compensation. Car accidents can affect you in more ways than you think and if your life has been changed forever then you should pursue a compensation claim. You need to use wrongful death attorneys who will work to get you the money you deserve. As a result of a fatal accident, you may have lost sleep through worry and panicking, your job may have been affected, your relationships may have broken down and your whole life may have been put on hold.

Move on with your life

It may not be an easy process and it may not be a quick process but you must try and move on with your life as best as you can. Dwelling on what has happened will bring nothing positive to your life, and, if you are not careful you may find that an accident can hinder your future. So, before you let a fatal accident take over and ruin your life you need to take action. Set and achieve goals no matter how simple, or small they are and over time you will get through this awful period.

Being involved in a car accident is terrible, but losing a loved one or family member is horrific and tragic. There are no words that can help you get over what you have seen or what you have felt when you found out that you had lost someone close to you in that accident that just happened seemingly out of nowhere. It is important to allow yourself to grieve and to mourn the loss of anyone. Losing friends, family and loved ones is terrible and it cuts even harder when you know that their death could have been preventable.