Helping Injured Persons After an Accident
Crashing your car can be a terrifying experience, especially if injuries are present at the site and require calling an ambulance. During this waiting period, there may be a million thoughts running through your head, but there are some things that you can do in the meantime to potentially help with the situation.
Check Yourself First
If you were also involved in the accident, it is imperative that you help yourself first before rendering aid to another person. Go through a checklist in your head:
- Am I in any pain?
- Do I see any blood?
- Am I breathing normally?
- Do I feel lightheaded?
- Can I wiggle my fingers and toes?
If you are able to get out of the vehicle, it is important that you do so and get a safe distance from the roadway. Before trying to help others, remember to remain calm, take a deep breath, and collect your thoughts.
Be Careful When Tending to Others
It can be difficult to remain calm if a passenger was thrown from the vehicle or appears to have severe injuries. If it looks like they do, you should avoid moving the body on your own, as this could increase the severity. Instead, you should check for a pulse and if they are breathing. If no pulse or breath is present, begin chest compressions, and if they are still breathing, roll them on their side in what is known as the “recovery position” — this will allow for a clearer airway.
If at all possible, you will want to keep the injured person awake and talking. Ask simple questions like:
- Their name and birthday.
- The year.
- The current president.
These should be common knowledge questions that anyone would be able to answer. During this time, you will also want to have someone checking on how far away the ambulance and police are if the latter is not already present on the scene. They should also be able to perform CPR and tell you what you can be doing to help.
Consider Hiring a Personal Injury Attorney
Severe car accidents can have long-term effects on your physical and mental health, and you should not have to face this alone. If you or a loved one was injured in a car accident caused by someone else, consider calling (800) 783-5006 to talk with our personal injury attorneys. The team at Manning Law, APC is multi-lingual and will be able to help you through the entire process.