What to Do After a Car Accident: 5 Important Steps
A car accident can be sudden, frightening, and physically and emotionally overwhelming. In the moments immediately afterward, it can be difficult to know what to do or what steps to take next.
Even when you feel relatively fine after an accident, some injuries may not become noticeable until hours or even days later. Whiplash, muscle strains, sprains, and other soft-tissue injuries can develop gradually.
Knowing what to do after a car accident can help protect your health, make the insurance process easier, and put you in a better position to recover.
Here are five important steps to take after a car accident:
1. Document the Accident Scene
Your first priority after a car accident is safety.
If it is safe to do so, move yourself and your vehicle out of the way of traffic. If anyone appears seriously injured or the accident is more than a minor incident, call 911 and follow the instructions of emergency personnel. Cooperate with the responding police officers and provide accurate information about what happened.
Once you are in a safe location, document as much as you can.
Use your phone to take photographs and notes about:
- The vehicles involved
- Damage to each vehicle
- The location of the accident
- Traffic signs and signals
- Road and weather conditions
- Your position in the vehicle
- The direction each vehicle was traveling
- Any visible injuries
- License plate numbers
- Insurance information
If there were witnesses, obtain their names and contact information if possible.
You should also write down your recollection of what happened while the details are still fresh. Include how the collision occurred, what you were doing immediately beforehand, and anything you remember the other driver saying.
If you have passengers, document whether they experienced any symptoms or injuries as well.
Don’t assume you’re uninjured because you feel fine
The adrenaline and stress following a collision can make it difficult to recognize certain symptoms immediately. Some people don’t notice neck pain, back pain, headaches, stiffness, or other symptoms until later.
For that reason, pay attention to how you feel over the following hours and days.
2. Seek Medical Attention for Car Accident Injuries
One of the most important things you can do after a car accident is have your health evaluated.
If you have severe pain, loss of consciousness, confusion, difficulty breathing, weakness, numbness, significant bleeding, or other concerning symptoms, seek emergency medical attention immediately.
For less severe injuries, it is still important to have a qualified healthcare professional evaluate you, particularly if symptoms develop after the accident.
Common car accident injuries can include:
- Whiplash
- Neck pain and stiffness
- Back pain
- Muscle strains
- Ligament sprains
- Headaches
- Shoulder pain
- Joint pain
- Reduced mobility
- Soft-tissue injuries
Some injuries may not be obvious immediately after a collision. A healthcare professional can evaluate your symptoms, determine whether additional testing or referrals are appropriate, and develop a treatment plan based on your individual condition.
Keep track of your symptoms
After an accident, consider keeping a daily record of how you are feeling.
Document symptoms such as pain, stiffness, headaches, difficulty sleeping, limited movement, or difficulty performing normal activities.
Also note how your symptoms affect your everyday life, including:
- Working
- Exercising
- Driving
- Sleeping
- Cooking
- Caring for your family
- Participating in hobbies and other activities
This information can be useful when communicating with your healthcare providers and documenting your recovery.
3. Consider Chiropractic Care After a Car Accident
Depending on your injuries and individual circumstances, chiropractic care may be one component of your recovery plan after a car accident.
A chiropractor can evaluate the musculoskeletal effects of a collision and develop an individualized treatment plan when appropriate.
At Barlas Chiropractic, treatment following a proper evaluation may include gentle chiropractic adjustments, soft-tissue therapies such as Active Release Technique (ART) and Graston Technique, and therapeutic exercises.
The goals of care may include reducing pain, improving mobility, restoring normal function, and helping you return to your regular activities safely.
Your treatment plan should be based on your examination findings, symptoms, medical history, and recovery progress.
4. Consider Speaking With a Personal Injury Attorney
A car accident can create significant stress beyond the physical injuries themselves. You may have to deal with vehicle repairs, insurance companies, medical bills, missed work, and other expenses.
Depending on the circumstances of your accident, it may be helpful to speak with an experienced personal injury attorney.
An attorney can explain your rights and responsibilities, communicate with insurance companies, help you understand the claims process, and advise you about potential compensation for medical expenses, property damage, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other losses when applicable.
You do not necessarily need to decide immediately whether to pursue a legal claim. An initial consultation with an attorney can help you understand your options.
Because personal injury laws and insurance requirements vary by state, it is important to seek advice from an attorney who is familiar with the laws applicable to your accident.
5. Follow Through With Your Medical Care
One of the most important parts of recovering from a car accident is following your recommended treatment plan.
It can be tempting to stop treatment as soon as your pain begins to improve. However, feeling somewhat better does not always mean that you have completely recovered.
Your healthcare provider can help determine when you have made sufficient progress and whether additional care, exercises, or other treatment are appropriate.
Depending on your individual injuries, recovery may involve chiropractic care, physical therapy, massage therapy, soft-tissue therapy, therapeutic exercise, acupuncture, or other forms of treatment.
The goal is to help you safely return to your normal activities and function.
Don’t ignore lingering symptoms
If you continue to experience pain, stiffness, headaches, restricted movement, or other symptoms after a car accident, talk with your healthcare provider rather than simply trying to live with the discomfort.
Early evaluation and appropriate care can help identify injuries and establish a plan for recovery.
What About a Car Accident Settlement?
If you were injured in a car accident caused by another party, you may have questions about whether you are entitled to compensation.
Depending on the circumstances and applicable law, compensation may potentially include medical expenses, property damage, lost income, and other damages such as pain and suffering.
In many cases, these issues are addressed after your injuries have been evaluated and your medical treatment and other accident-related issues have progressed.
Because every accident and insurance claim is different, consider consulting with an experienced personal injury attorney before making decisions about a settlement or signing documents with an insurance company.
What Should You Do After a Car Accident?
If you’ve recently been involved in a car accident, remember these five steps:
- Make sure everyone is safe and contact emergency services when necessary.
- Document the accident and collect important information.
- Get evaluated for potential injuries, even if symptoms initially seem minor.
- Consider speaking with an experienced personal injury attorney.
- Follow your recommended treatment plan and monitor your recovery.
Taking these steps can help you protect your health and make the recovery process easier to navigate.
Chiropractic Care After a Car Accident in Seattle
If you have been involved in a car accident and are experiencing neck pain, back pain, whiplash, headaches, stiffness, or other musculoskeletal symptoms, Barlas Chiropractic can provide an evaluation and discuss an appropriate treatment plan with you.
Following a proper evaluation, patients at Barlas Chiropractic may be treated with light chiropractic adjustments, Active Release Technique (ART) soft-tissue therapy, Graston Technique soft-tissue therapy, and therapeutic exercise to help reduce pain, improve mobility, and support recovery.
If you’ve been injured in a car accident, call Barlas Chiropractic today at 206-954-7479 to schedule an evaluation and take the first step toward recovery.
You can also contact us through the Barlas Chiropractic App, email us at drjafferbarlas@gmail.com, or contact us through our website.
Yours in health,
Dr. Jaffer Barlas
(206) 954-7479