Search
Close this search box.

What to Do After Surviving a Car Crash

Every year, there are about 7,000 people who get hurt in car accidents. The injuries vary from minor scratches to major head injuries that can physically incapacitate a person. Beyond these physical injuries, there are mental health issues that they also need to take care of.

What do you have to do after a car crash? What needs to be done to survive it physically, emotionally, and mentally? The first thing you need to do is to take care of your physical health. Find out if you have sustained neck injuries so that you can seek whiplash treatment in Layton, Utah or another city. Once you’re sure that you are physically fine and that you need only a few therapy sessions, you can begin to deal with the other matters relating to the car accident.

Legal Remedies

First, who was at fault? The police should have determined this already. Both you and the other party can decide on how best to deal with the accident. If there are no major issues, you can just let your respective auto insurance providers handle the repairs on your car. If the other party has no auto insurance, you can use your third-party liability policy to take care of their vehicle. It’s all about talking things through when both of you are calm and collected.

You can seek the help of a lawyer so that you know your rights and other legal steps you can take. If you are at fault, admit this to your lawyer so that they can prepare you for the line of questioning the investigators will take. Hopefully, things can be settled outside of court, and you won’t need to pay the legal fees and face possible jail time and penalties because of your actions.

But what happens when you have destroyed a private or public property? You can get your driver’s license suspended.

Mental Issues

Young Woman Having Counselling Session

There are three things that survivors of car accidents will initially suffer from, mentally: flashbacks, fear, and guilt. You need to talk to someone—a friend or a partner—regarding these feelings. These are all normal. You may replay the incident over and over in your head even if you don’t mean it. You may fear to get behind the wheel again. You will feel guilty about causing the accident, surviving the accident, or being part of the accident at all.

But red flags must be raised when you’re starting to experience anxiety, depression, or post-traumatic stress disorder. These are the conditions that have to be dealt with by a licensed counselor or even a psychologist. It might even require therapy sessions.

When you have suffered through a vehicle accident, accept that surviving it won’t be easy. You need to give yourself time to heal, as well as look for support from your family and friends.

A car accident is one of the most insufferable things that can happen to anyone. Not only will it affect your condition physically and mentally, but it will also affect your personal and professional life. While there’s no guarantee that you won’t figure in a car accident no matter how safe and slow you drive, it’s still prudent to remind you to drive defensively. Be mindful of other cars on the road.

Scroll to Top