Even if you hope that you never have to use this guide, be sure to read it. It contains information that could help you to avoid problems in the future.
Actions to take at scene of collision
Call 911. Do not refuse an offer of medical help. Pay attention to any remarks about your condition. Maybe you were knocked unconscious for a brief period. If that were the case, then you should definitely share that fact with a doctor.
If planning to leave the scene, in order to get medical help, be sure to exchange contact information with the other driver first, or arrange for someone else to carry out that same task. Do not admit guilt; however, you must share the facts with any arriving officer.
Save the evidence. You will need to take pictures of damage, and of the location of the accident. Seek out and speak with witnesses; get their contact information.
Actions to take upon arriving back at your residence
Make arrangements for picking up a copy of the police report. Contact an attorney; a lawyer should be able to obtain a copy of the police report. Sit down with pen or pencil and paper. Injury Lawyers in Ottawa will ask you to record everything that you remember about the time before, during and after the accident.
Locate or purchase a small booklet that could function as a diary or journal. Start keeping track of each time that you experience a painful sensation. Record how long it lasted, and how you would describe the nature of the pain:
—Was it dull or intense?
—Was it a burning, biting, throbbing, or sharp?
—Was it constant or recurring?
Other actions to consider
Returning to the site of the accident. Taking more pictures. Searching for additional witnesses. That could include those residents that had witnessed a similar incident at the same location.
Checking to see if there are any video cameras that are focused on the spot where the vehicles collided.
Depending on your medical history, you might want to schedule an appointment with your own doctor. Do not let the observations made by a physician that knows nothing about your medical history to be the only remarks in your medical record.
Keep your attorney posted, regarding any new symptoms, or any new piece of information, such as the name of someone that spoke to you, when you were visiting the scene of the collision.
If you start feeling better, and want to try an action that you could not carry out before, speak with your treating physician, before attempting to perform that particular action or movement. Do not go ahead with your plans, unless you have received permission to do so, from that same physician.
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