What Must I Do If I Hit a Pedestrian?
Dec 26, 2020
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Despite following all the road safety and traffic rules, there are still some chances to involve in an accident. An accident is an accident that can be happened anytime and anywhere. So it is important to know what we should do if we unluckily hit a pedestrian while driving.
Sometimes, pedestrian accidents can be very dangerous. It ends up in the death of the victim too. No matter the speed of your vehicle, even a car with 10 KM per hour speed can also injure a pedestrian very seriously. That is why drivers should always be very careful and learn the basic rules of roads.
In this writing, we are going to discuss what you can immediately do if you hit a pedestrian as a driver. So keep reading!
6 Things you must do if you hit a pedestrian:
First of all, it is quite normal to get worried and upset after the accident. But the challenge for you is not to get worried that much. And there are some certain things that you can follow. Take a deep breath and try to do the following things;
- Safety first
- Seek medical assistance or help
- Call the police immediately
- Exchange important information about the injuries
- Contact your insurance company
- Seek professional help
Below are given a brief explanation for these steps;
1. Safety first:
After hitting a pedestrian, the first thing you should make sure the safety of yourself and the pedestrian. Try to take the pedestrian to a safe place. Don’t waste your time and call the emergency 911 as early as you can. Do not attempt any medical treatment by yourself. Because sometimes, it goes wrong then the consequences can be very serious.
2. Seek medical help:
The next thing you should do is to seek medical help. Call the medical emergency immediately and wait till the medical team comes to the scene. If the condition of the pedestrian is really serious, then try to take him or her to the nearby clinic or hospital.
3. Call the police:
No matter what the situation is, you should call the police. When the police come, you should be truthful about the accident and tell them everything in detail. The police will then create a first information report, and you should collect a copy of that report.
This report usually contains all the important information about the accident and scenario. When you file for a personal injury claim, you will need that police report. Memories can be faded away anytime for any kinds of emotional issues.
That is why it is advisable to have the document of each and everything, which helps you to fight against the insurance company.
4. Collect important information about the injuries:
Collect the information of everyone who was involved in the accident. If the pedestrian is injured and unable to move, you must exchange all the information like the name, full address, phone number, etc. It is needed because when you file a personal injury claim, the insurance will ask for this information.
Moreover, you should collect information about the injuries. For example, is there any visible injuries, is there any pain or bleeding? When the medical team arrives, you can also collect this information from the medical assistance team. If they have any injury report, then try to collect a copy of that report.
5. Contact your insurance company:
No matter how serious the accident is, if you have auto insurance, try to contact your insurance company. If possible, tell them about the accident in detail. Most likely, a representative from your insurance company will come to the scene to evaluate the damages.
Even if you are at fault, the insurance company will cover these kinds of accidents. And still, you will get some compensation for your damages. If you do not let your insurance company about the accident, it would be hard for you to prove who is at fault. So, it is always advisable to contact your insurance company immediately.
6. Seek professional lawyer advice:
Legal laws for an auto accident can vary from state to state. Some legal laws are really hard to go through. When you go for claiming auto accident insurance, you will need to go through some legal procedures. Sometimes, those procedures can seem so complex for general people.
If you are confused about your next step, you can contact or seek help from a professional lawyer, ICBC lawyers in Kelowna, for example. A lawyer is always a recommended option for you. An experienced lawyer can give you the necessary advice to get the maximum amount of settlement amount from the insurance company.
The bottom line:
As a driver, we all should maintain the road and traffic rules. Unfortunately, if something wrong happens, like if you hit a pedestrian, do not get worried or panicked, as a driver you have certain responsivities that you should do.
You can follow all the above-mentioned points if you are involved in any such situation. You can also seek professional help or legal advice if it is necessary for you. Nowadays, you can find them online too. Hopefully, you have learned what you must do from this above writing if you hit a pedestrian while driving.