Every year, more than 220,000 American teenagers between the ages of 16 and 19 are injured in car accidents, leaving parents to take care of injuries and damages.
Protecting Teens After a Crash
Since teenagers are three times more likely than older drivers to be injured in a car crash or involved in a fatal car accident, parents and teens should know what to do if an accident happens. If a teen is injured in a car crash, the following important steps will help reduce emotional trauma and the severity of physical injuries. There are five important steps to take after a teen car crash.
Call 911
When a car accident occurs, the police should be called right away. Teens should call local law enforcement and/or 911 immediately after the accident and remain at the scene until police arrive to investigate, take statements, and create an accident report. Under no circumstances should teens leave the scene of the accident before law enforcement arrives, since this may constitute a hit and run offense under the law.
Seek Medical Care
After a car crash, parents should seek medical attention for their teens at an urgent care center or hospital emergency room as soon as possible, even if injuries appear minor. Although cuts and bruises are visible, internal injuries don’t always show up right away. Head injuries and internal injuries often show no outward signs of trauma, but they can lead to serious health consequences.
Take Photos at the Scene
If there are no serious injuries, teens should take photos of the accident scene. Using a cell phone, photos should be taken of injuries, vehicle damages, property damages, road hazards, and skid marks. Photos become valuable evidence in establishing fault in a car accident, especially in multi-vehicle crashes.
Gather Information
It’s important to get the names, contact information, and insurance information of all parties involved in the car accident. If there are witnesses to the crash, their information should be collected as well. This information will be necessary when filing an accident claim with an insurance company or a personal injury lawsuit with a Henderson accident lawyer.
Call the Insurance Company
When teens are involved in a car crash, parents should report it to their insurance company as soon as possible, but avoid admitting fault. If the accident is not reported in a timely manner, the insurer may deny the claim.