The average person is only involved in an auto accident about once every 18 years. This means that you shouldn’t have to worry too much about getting into a car crash anytime soon.

But if you happen to get into a car accident, it’s important for you to know what you should do next. Taking the right steps will limit the damage that an auto accident is able to do to you and your life.

Here is what you should do in the immediate aftermath of a car accident.

Report the Auto Accident to Police

After you’ve been involved in an auto accident, the very first thing you should do is call the police and report the crash to them. They’ll typically respond by sending someone out to the scene right away.

There is a decent chance that other people are going to call the police, too. But you shouldn’t rely on them to call 911 for you. You should do it yourself if you can to ensure the cops come out to the scene as soon as possible.

Get the Proper Medical Treatment

If you were only involved in a very minor fender-bender, you might not think you need medical treatment following an auto accident. But you should always get checked out after a car crash to make sure everything is OK.

There are a lot of common auto accident injuries that people sustain during crashes. From concussions to broken bones, you might be forced to deal with any number of them. You should get looked at by a medical professional to see what, if anything, is wrong with you after an accident.

Contact Your Auto Insurance Company

Your auto accident is likely going to cost you a nice chunk of change. You’ll need to pay for everything from medical bills to car repair bills.

Your auto insurance company can help you cover some, if not all, of the costs associated with your crash. You should learn how to file auto insurance claims so that you don’t get stuck footing the bill for your entire accident.

Talk to an Auto Accident Attorney

It’s not always necessary for people to hire auto accident attorneys following a car crash. But you may want to think about doing it, especially if your auto insurance company gives you a hard time about helping you pay off your crash-related bills.

An auto accident attorney can take a look at your case and let you know if you might be able to file a lawsuit following a car crash.

Make Sure You Take Each of These Steps Following a Car Crash

If you’ve never been involved in an auto accident before, you might be a little shellshocked after your first one. You might not know which way to turn when it comes to responding to the crash.

Follow the steps that we’ve laid out here to begin putting the pieces of your life back together. You can get back on the right path in no time at all when you respond to an auto accident in the right way.

Read through the rest of the articles on our blog to get more advice on what to do following a car accident.