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You know when you think you do something really well and have that "it will never happen to me" attitude? Well I have to admit that I was that "smug" driver! I have been driving for some (ahem) 15+ years and always thought that I was a confident and competent driver, unfortunately for me that didn't help when another driver pulled across the road in front of me a while back!

If you have ever been in a car accident you know just how shocking and unpleasant it can be. Even if it is just a small shunt, the shock can really affect your confidence  on the road. The jolt of an impact can cause injury and panic and if you don’t respond in the correct way, the consequences in both the short term and long term can be very damaging. I vividly remember my daughter looking at me and asking "mummy, did we just crash?", thankfully we were both okay.

Three stages

Having dealt with the motor fleet of previous companies I have worked for, I do know what I should have been doing but even I needed a reminder. Essentially, the things to do after an accident can be broken down into three stages – immediate, short term and long term. In the immediate aftermath of an accident you should try not to panic. Don’t move suddenly or try and get out of the car unless it is necessary or you have made sure you are ok to do so. Remember that shock may take over and you might not realise the extent of your injuries and always tend to yourself before checking on others.

Get out of danger

If it is safe to get out the car, check on the well-being of other people involved and call the police and an ambulance. It is always better to err on the side of caution. Remove yourself and any other people from any danger and stand well away from the car or road. (we had to get the air ambulance out to us as we were in a rural area, which was more embarressing for me than it was actually needed)

Swap details

In the short term you need to swap insurance details and make sure the police have a full account of what happened. You may need to try and get statements from other witnesses as these could come in handy later on. Make sure you get the details of all involved. Names, addresses, numbers, license plates – any information you can get may be useful. It may also be a good idea to take photos of damage to any cars. Try and build up a complete picture of the incident as best as you can.

Establish blame

In the longer term you need to try and assess what happened and who was at fault. You will need to involve the relevant insurance companies and establish a claim if you were not at fault. The payment we received for this post, will help go towards next year's car insurances :-)

Don't forget that all the information gathered from witnesses, police and photographic evidence at the time of the accident may be useful. It is always a good idea to use specialist lawyers like http://www.injurylawyers4u.co.uk if you think you are entitled to a claim as they specialise in these kinds of cases.  

If like me, you follow all these steps correctly, you can get the best possible outcome from any accident but I do hope that you genuinely never have to use them.