When you are blindsided by a car ramming into your rideshare, your emotions can run wild. Fear, confusion, and anger may begin to surface.
As normal as these emotions are, they won’t help you to make smart decisions in a most crucial time in your life.
So, how can you remain calm after you’ve been in a car accident?
Here are some tips:
Deep Breathing
The initial seconds after a crash, your body might go on autopilot and you can almost feel like you are watching yourself move and talk but not even be fully conscious.
After the adrenaline wears off, however, and your brain kicks in with all of it’s worries, you might feel your chest begin to tighten, you are stumbling over your words, and are either frozen in place or frantic.
If you begin to feel this type of mindset take over, it’s time to initiate some deep breathing.
When you get anxious, you tend to take quick, shallow breaths that don’t deliver enough oxygen throughout the body and you can hyperventilate. This causes you to get even more anxious.
Deep breathing will give your entire body a nice dose of oxygen and help to relieve some anxiety.
This article shows you eight effective deep breathing techniques that you can use the next time you are in a rideshare accident.
Call a Friend
When you can’t seem to think straight after a rideshare car accident, your best bet is to call a trusted friend or family member so that they can do the thinking for you.
They will help to soothe you and also ask you some pertinent questions to assess the situation. For example, they might ask you if you are hurt, if anyone else is hurt, if you are in a safe place, etc.
They can help guide you through this scary event. Just hearing a familiar voice can help to make you feel safe.
Assess the Accident
After your friend has helped you to get over your initial shock, your next step should be to assess the situation.
Check each passenger for injuries and if possible, move the vehicles out of the way of traffic. If the vehicles cannot be moved, be sure to get everyone out and in a safe place.
If you can, now is the time to take pictures of both vehicles, get names of everyone involved, and record as much information as possible.
If you are one of the drivers in the accident, exchange insurance information with the other driver. If you are just a passenger, make sure you get insurance information for both drivers. Collecting the insurance information will help you file a legal claim against the liable party. In such cases, you need to contact a Lyft accident lawyer and claim your deserving financial compensation for all your damages; learn more here.
Call Emergency Services
Once you have a better understanding of the situation and what is needed, your next call should be to the police. Let them know that there has been a car accident and request that they send medical personnel.
There may not be anyone in need of emergency medical attention but since car accident injuries are often felt hours or even days later, it’s always best to get checked before leaving the scene of the accident.
Request that the police make a report and provide you with a copy. When it comes to your legal rights in a car accident, often we aren’t even aware of all of them. Learn more about your rights in a rideshare accident here.
Check the Scene Once More
After your phone call with your friend, talking to the other passengers, and discussing the event with the police, you may have some lingering questions of your own.
You might also have thought about a certain fact that you want to document even further. Any pictures or statements that you can record will only give you more protection if any legal actions ensue.
See if there are any skid marks on the road, any debris or road signs nearby. Take a picture of not just the road, but the area of the accident from all angles.
This article will teach you everything you need to know about taking car accident scene photos.
These last minute photos and recordings may be shown to be a key piece of evidence should you decide to take legal action.
Conclusion
No one is ever fully prepared for a car accident, that’s why it’s called an accident. When it’s in a Lyft or Uber, it’s almost even more unexpected. Even so, you can stay calm and take deliberate action to keep you safe and legally protected by following the protocol above.
