Every year thousands of people are involved in motor vehicle accidents in Louisiana. While most accidents are relatively minor and may not involve any serious injuries, it is still important to know what to do in the event you are involved in an accident. There are numerous safety and insurance issues to consider after a collision, but you should also be aware of what is legally required of you after an accident.
Here are a few tips and things to remember if you are ever involved in an accident:
Stay calm and call for help. The first thing to do if you are in an accident is to stop and make sure nobody is hurt. This goes with saying in a major accident, but even in a minor collision, you should stop and ensure there are no injuries. If you do not stop after a crash, you run the risk of being considered a hit-and-run driver and being charged with a serious crime.
If appropriate, make sure you call for medical help right away. If someone is injured, emergency responders will need to know exactly where to go and what they are responding to. If you have to get out of your vehicle, make sure you do so safely. Many people suffer serious injuries even after the initial collision when they fail to watch out for other cars.
Move your vehicle if possible. After an accident, it is common for people to think they should not move their car because the police will need to see how the accident happened. However, under Louisiana law, if you are not injured in the crash, you have the responsibility to move your car to a safe place after an accident. If you have suffered an injury or you feel that moving your car may be even more dangerous, it may be okay to stay put, but in the end, you don’t want to leave your car in a dangerous place where you may cause additional collisions and even greater injuries.
In our next post, we will discuss a few more tips and things to remember if you find yourself involved in a motor vehicle accident.
Related Resources:
So you’re in an accident … what now? (Shreveport Times)
