Car accidents can be terrifying as they come out of nowhere. What's more terrifying is being in a wreck while you aren't prepared for it. This is true for trucking accidents, OUI accidents and general car crashes when you are not the one at fault. To keep from making a bad situation worse, make sure you keep the following materials in your vehicle at all times. They will help you in the moments after you get into an accident, but can bring you comfort every time you get behind the wheel and know they're in there with you.
- Flashlight – Sure, everyone has a flashlight on their phone but there is no way to know that it will be available in the event of an accident. Your phone could be dead, or lost during the accident or even broken beyond use. Having a flashlight will allow you to assess the damage to your car and to check yourself and passengers for injury in the dark. A car accident is never good, but a car accident at night can be a nightmare.
- First Aid Kit – If you are seriously injured, you should always be checked on by emergency medical services (EMS), but you should still keep a first aid kit in your car. Should you find yourself on a remote road when an accident occurs, a first aid kit can provide much needed supplies for small scrapes and bruises or for more serious injuries until EMS arrives.
- Pen and Paper – If your phone is dead, lost, or, broken you may not be able to take pictures of the accident scene but you can still get loads of information documented with pen and paper. Insurance information, license plate numbers, witness names, and contact information can all be recorded without a phone.
This list is by no means exhaustive, but it can be seen as the bare essentials for when a car wreck occurs on any of our roads in Massachusetts.
Your Best Emergency Tool is a Car Accident Attorney
After a car crash or trucking accident, please take care to ensure you and anyone else involved is alright. Use the tools you have with you to your advantage in the immediate aftermath of a collision with another vehicle. After everything is in order, be sure to contact your local car accident attorney as soon as possible to help you navigate the insurance process to cover any injuries you or your passengers may have sustained as a result of the other driver's negligence.
At Brooks & Crowley LLP, our personal injury team is ready to assist you. Whether you've been hit by a truck, collided with a car, struck by a motorcycle or been involved in any other form of serious accident, our injury lawyers are here. We have offices throughout Eastern Massachusetts in Dedham, South Boston and Norwell.