Car accidents occur around the city every single day. While some are simply a fender bender, others are fatal, taking the life of one or more passengers in all vehicles involved. When an accident occurs, there are usually witnesses that see it happen.A bystander is someone who is at the place at the time an accident occurs. They play an important role in determining what happened before, during, and after an accident occurred.
It is easy to assume that someone who witnessed an accident will come forward, to not only help those who are injured in the accident, but to also be the ones that call emergency personnel to the scene. Unfortunately, may witnesses will not do this in fear of legal consequences that could fall on them if they try to help.
This is actually called the “Bystander Effect” and it happens more times than you might think. In just a few seconds after an accident happens, they will go over in their minds what is going to happen, what could happen to them, and they can decide then and there to help or not.
What to do when you witness a car accident
If you are the witness of a car accident, don’t run away. Instead, make sure that you are safe and everyone around you is safe as well. You certainly don’t want to run out in front of traffic to a vehicle that was involved in an accident and landed in the median. You want to make sure that traffic has come to a stop before you go across.
If you have a cell phone, call 911 immediately. Tell the 911 dispatch where the accident happened, how many vehicles were involved, and the number of victims that you can see. Also alert them to any other important information such as a vehicle on fire. This will help them get the right help out to them as soon as possible.
Approach the vehicles only if it is safe to do so. Don’t go toward a vehicle if you notice that things don’t look safe. Ask the drivers to place the vehicle in park and turn off the ignition. This will keep the vehicle from catching on fire if there is a gas or fluid leak.
Assist victims with wounds by applying pressure to bleeding. Keeping pressure on wounds will help to slow down or stop the bleeding until emergency medical professionals arrive. If someone is unconscious, cover them up until help arrives.
Be sure to stay with the accident victims until police and ambulance arrive. Before you leave, its best to leave your name and contact information with the police so they can contact you should anything arise that would need to be discussed. If you are contacted, you may want to find a personal injury lawyer in Spruce Grove that represents these types of claims to represent you in order to point out that you were helping out of good faith.