A lot of people know what to do if they are ever involved in a serious car accident, but not many people know what to do if you witness one. A situation like this can be extremely traumatic and stressful, so you cannot be faulted for being uncomfortable. That being said, you want to ensure if you decide to help, that you are doing the right thing. Here is what to do if you witness a serious car crash happen before you.

Give Those Involved Your Information

If you witnessed the accident and how it happened, you might have vital information that can help a person who was involved, along with the rescue crews. Let’s say for example you are driving in Vancouver when you notice a car run a red light and hit another vehicle. Upon exiting the vehicle, you find the one who ran the red light arguing and lying stating that the other person is at fault for the accident. In a situation like this, it can be hard for the people at insurance to determine who was at fault.

By giving those involved your information, you now make yourself a witness that can be contacted to give a testimony. You can expect a motor vehicle accident lawyer in Vancouver to get ahold of you as your testimony can swing the case completely. Always give both parties involved in the accident your name, number, and a brief recollection of what you witnessed. This way they can decide to contact you if they so choose.

Determine If You Want To Help

As mentioned earlier, you are not legally obligated to pull over and help if someone has been involved in an accident. If you feel that you cannot help the situation or that you are uncomfortable, just continue to drive. If you do decide that you want to help, ensure that you are able to pull over safely. Look at the accident as well and determine if you can be injured in any way by helping. The last thing you want to do is become another victim at the scene of the accident.

Contact Emergency Services

Regardless if you decide to help or not, you should be calling emergency services right away to inform them about what has happened. If you are still driving, you should either pull off the road to make the call or use hands-free technology. The sooner you can make the call the better, as seconds matter in a serious car accident. Inform them of the severity of the crash and give them any information you deem important. You want the emergency services to show up prepared and ready to face the issue that is in front of them.

Provide First Aid

If you are certified in first aid, now is a great time to put your training into action. Take a look at those involved in the accident and see if anything can be done to help them. Once again, if you are uncomfortable in a situation like this, you are not legally obligated to help or provide aid unless you are a trained medical professional. If you notice anyone walking around after the accident, quickly have them lay down. Shock and adrenaline often kick in after a serious accident, therefore people might be walking around with serious injuries without knowing it.

The final important thing to note when providing first aid is that you want to move people as little as possible. In serious car accidents, there is a chance of someone getting a spinal injury. Moving someone with this type of injury can have catastrophic consequences and can even result in them being paralyzed. If you are ever unsure of how you can help someone, it is better that you leave first aid to the professionals and instead of comfort them until emergency crews arrive.

Get Yourself Help Afterwards

While you are concerned about those who were involved in the accident, have you taken the time to look at your own wellbeing? Witnessing a serious car accident can be traumatic, especially if it was fatal or resulted in major injuries. Take some time to talk to a counselor and get yourself the support and care that you need to get back to normal. It is never easy witnessing something like that so take the time to look after yourself.

These are all things that you should look to do right when the accident occurs and during the aftermath. Always remember that you are not legally obligated to help out and should only do so if you are properly trained and comfortable.