What Every Traveler Needs to Know About Injuries on the Road

Almost every adult uses a vehicle, and is constantly on a buzzing network of traffic, so accidents are an all-too-common occurrence, with some of them having catastrophic consequences. Even if you are the most responsible and careful driver in the world, the other people on the road aren’t all likely to be as cautious, which makes road accidents unavoidable sometimes. Should such an unfortunate event occur, you mustn’t just panic and lose all control over yourself and the situation. Staying calm and collected, and knowing what steps to take and what definitely to avoid may literally save lives. To prepare you for such a situation is what today’s article is all about, so with all that said, read on!

Lawyer Up

If the accident has already happened, and you were the injured party because of another driver’s negligence, there is one thing you should do as soon as the dust settles. Lawyer up. Without the right Atlanta personal injury lawyers advocating for you, you won’t be able to get any of the compensation or justice you deserve after such a traumatic and stressful event. There are no circumstances in which you can allow a reckless driver to not only injure you but get away without any legal consequences, so on the scene of the accident, you are going to want to ask for the responsible driver’s insurance information. Once you are armed with this info, you will be able to contact an attorney and make a formal claim to get compensation, and if the guilty driver was extremely reckless, you may also want to file a criminal complaint by contacting the police. Then you hire an attorney to take the driver to civil court and sue them. All of this to say, get a capable, professional lawyer as soon as you can to get the most compensation you can.

Before the Accident

The best way to deal with injuries and accidents is to avoid them in the first place, by being proactive. Obviously, accidents are by nature a “surprise” but there are still steps you can take before the journey to be as safe and prepared as possible should an accident occur. First of all, make sure you have all the necessary documentation and paperwork with you and in your car, like a (valid) driver’s license, registration, car insurance, and a valid MOT. Then you want to ensure that your vehicle is in good working condition, with all brakes, lights, and tires functioning as intended. Remember to wear your seatbelt and make sure your passengers do the same. Last but certainly not least, avoid distracted driving, like using your phone while driving, which is not only illegal but can also dramatically increase the likelihood of a road accident.

During

If you find yourself in an accident, again, the first thing to do is remain calm. Panicking can lead to irrational, hasty decisions, which may cause even more harm to those involved. Once you have yourself under control, you should check yourself for injuries before checking on the other people involved in the accident, and if you see anyone injured, immediately call an ambulance. Relocate to a safe location, preferably off to the side of the road or highway and away from the flow of traffic. If your vehicle is still operational, make sure you turn on the hazard lights to warn others on the road of the accident, or if you have one, use a reflective triangle, especially beneficial in bad weather with sub-optimal visibility. 

Get Checked Up

Even if you don’t notice any immediate injuries yourself, it is absolutely vital that you still go to a doctor once the immediate accident details have been resolved. You may not feel any pain or notice any external damage, but our bodies are extremely complex, and if you have something like an internal injury with bleeding, especially in your head or other extremities, that can turn into a seriously dangerous situation very, very quickly. To avoid a tragic surprise from occurring, go to a medical professional once you are done with the authorities and get checked up. 

Head Injuries

In road accidents, a driver or passenger may suffer a traumatic brain injury, caused by the head hitting another object or being hit by it violently. Depending on the affected area of the brain and the extent of damage suffered, the symptoms of a head injury can range from barely noticeable and very mild to moderate to very, very severe. As we mentioned beforehand, sometimes there may not even be any visible sign of trauma, but the force of the impact in the accident may have still basically pushed the brain around inside the skull, causing bruising, bleeding, or swelling of the brain. Scary to even think about, but these sorts of injuries can be genuinely life-threatening, especially when left undiscovered and untreated, where you may be walking around normally before collapsing or suffering other catastrophic consequences. 

Spinal Cord Injuries

Damage to the spinal cord can be caused by disc material, displaced bone fragments, or ligaments bruising or tearing into spinal cord tissue, destroying part of the nerve cells, or axons, which are responsible for carrying signals along the spinal cord between your brain and your body. So when your spinal cord is damaged, it can lead to extremely debilitating and severe injuries, leaving the victim with nightmare scenarios such as loss of feeling or motor function, in parts of the body or even the whole body. It’s scary to even think about, but again, sadly, there is a very real risk of road accidents, which is why you want to be as careful as possible.

Road accidents happen almost constantly, all over the world, and even though we try to avoid them as much as we can and are as careful as possible, negligent, reckless drivers are everywhere. It is vital that you know what steps to take during the accident and after so that you can avoid serious injuries from getting worse, and get some compensation and justice at least.