Being a victim of a car accident is very upsetting and stressful. But it is much worse when a minor is involved in a car accident without a parent. Imagine being called on the phone and finding out that your child has been hurt in a car accident and you are somewhere else. It is possibly one of the most terrifying moments in the life of a parent. The safety of your children is your major concern and the possibility that your child could be injured in a car accident is terrible.
But as difficult as this situation is, you will need to remain calm. Below are the critical steps to when a minor is involved in a car accident without a parent being present.
Find Out About Your Children’s Health and Well Being
The first thing you will need to do is to understand the condition of your children. If the car accident occurred on a rainy day or near a body of water, you need to know if your children are in the water. Children that are in car seats can be submerged in water and have difficulty in getting out. You should reach out to the authorities as soon as you can to determine what the physical condition of your children is.
If you can, get to the accident scene as soon as you can, but make sure you drive safely. The last thing you need at this time is to get into a car accident yourself. If you get to the crash scene and your children say they cannot move or cannot feel a part of their body, wait for EMTs and police to arrive. If you do not know the seriousness of their injuries, you should not move them at all.
Call Police
If the police have not been called by someone else, call them as soon as you learn about the car accident. Make sure that they are getting to the accident scene as soon as possible. You should collect your personal information, auto insurance card, and exchange information with the driver who was at fault. When the police get there, you should talk to the police about the nature of the accident as best you understand it. As you were not there when the accident happened, you and the police will need to talk to witnesses and the drivers involved to determine what happened. The police will file an accident report for the car accident and you need to get a copy of it for a claim or lawsuit.
Get Medical Attention
Make sure that your children are seen by a doctor even if you think they were not injured. Children may not understand if they are injured or not, and it is always possible for injuries to present themselves days or even weeks after the car accident. If you do not have them seen by a doctor immediately, you may deeply regret this later if their injuries turn out to be much worse than you initially thought.
Children Outside the Car
Sometimes the accident could involve your children that were not in a vehicle when it happened. If your child was hit by someone driving on the road, this is obviously a serious situation. Make sure the child gets medical attention immediately, but do not move her. Wait for medical help to arrive.
Talk to An Attorney
If your child is injured in a car accident whether you were there or not, you may need to talk to a personal injury attorney. If their injuries were caused by the negligence of a driver, they could be liable for personal injury damages. You can use this website to locate a personal injury attorney in your state.
