As a witness to a car accident, you can provide an important source of information to the police as well as comfort for the victims. The way that you respond depends on many factors, including the location and severity of the accident. Although your first response might be to jump in and help, you need to keep yourself and your passengers safe as well. This is especially important in extremely dangerous situations, such as witnessing a car burst into flames.
For everyone’s safety, stay back away from the crash scene until the police and paramedics arrive on the scene. Don’t exit your own car if it means you would need to walk across heavy traffic. Additionally, don’t leave your vehicle in a spot where it could put others in danger or potentially cause a second accident.
If you’re concerned that the people inside the car that crashed have significant injuries that they can’t report themselves, use your mobile phone to call 911. After ensuring that it’s safe for you to approach the vehicle, you can do so to offer the crash victims comfort until help arrives. However, you should never attempt to move an injured person yourself since doing so could make their condition much worse.
It’s important to cooperate with the police when they arrive since this helps them determine the events that caused the accident. You should give your full name and contact information as well as a brief description of what you witnessed. Consider jotting down some notes in case you receive a court summons later to testify in a personal injury or criminal case. It also helps to provide a neutral voice when one or both parties in the accident don’t tell the truth about what happened.
Even if you witness a hit and run accident or a case of road rage, you should never confront anyone involved in an accident. Instead, write down what you see and provide it to the police and the injured party. If possible, write down the license plate of the person who didn’t stop after causing an accident or committed an act of road rage.
You may feel like you don’t want to get involved in someone else’s car accident, but keep in mind that it’s your civic and legal duty. The information you provide can help get a dangerous driver off the road or an innocent victim the compensation he or she deserves. If you have additional questions about your responsibilities, please don’t hesitate to contact our Knoxville, Tennessee law office.
After spending his secondary years of study at The McCallie School in Chattanooga, G Turner Howard III earned his BA at Tulane University. A member of the Tennessee Trial Lawyers Association, he received his law degree from the University of Tennessee College of Law. Before becoming an attorney, he earned a Master’s and Doctor of Divinity at Andrews Theological Seminary and Columbia Theological Seminary. He also served as a 1st Lieutenant in the US Army in Vietnam. With more than 20 years of experience, his firm has helped clients receive millions of dollars for personal injury, and in many cases, much faster than they ever expected.
