What To Do After a Car Accident in BC

Some people have never been in an accident before and may have no idea what you should do. Here, below, is a list of what you should do if you are in a car accident. You may even want to print this out and keep it in your glove box for future reference.

Don’t Panic

Panic will not help you or anyone else. Keep your cool, and don’t start worrying about who is at fault.

Check for Injuries

If you or someone else is injured. Call 9-1-1. Ask for police or ambulance. Whoever you speak to can contact all the other emergency services if needed. If it is a major accident, call 9-1-1 even if no one is injured.

Don’t Move the Vehicle

If this is a serious accident, do not try to move the vehicle. If it is a minor accident blocking a major thoroughfare, then you can move the vehicle to the side of the road. Do not leave the scene of the accident. This is a crime.

Record Relevant Information

If you have a smartphone, take photos or video of the vehicles, licence plates, people involved, and witnesses if there are any. Try to get the names and see some identification of the people involved. Take some notes about anything relevant such as blinding rain or heavy snow.

Be COVID-19 Aware

In this age of COVID-19, stay a respectable distance from strangers. That’s why it’s preferable to take photos of the documents of others and keep your distance.

Police

Serious accidents will have to be reported to the police one way or another. If you don’t need police at the scene of the accident, then go to the police station to file a report.

Contact ICBC

You need to do this as soon as possible but you should definitely seek medical care first if needed, and you can contact a lawyer first as well. You can reach ICBC 24/7 at (604) 520-8222 on the Lower Mainland or at (800) 910-4222 for elsewhere in BC, elsewhere in Canada or in the US.

If you happen to see a bad accident that you are not involved in, call 9-1-1, but not while you’re driving. Pull over, and come to a stop in a safe place first. Then contact emergency services, ask for police and report where you are located and what you have seen. Police may want to talk to you again at a later date if you were a witness to the accident.

If you think you may need a criminal lawyer to help you regarding a vehicle accident but are not sure, you can always call Gagan Nahal in Vancouver at (604) 527-4769 for a free consultation.

Gagan Nahal is a criminal defence lawyer based in Surrey, British Columbia, although he has represented clients across Canada. He works vigorously and tirelessly defending his clients.

If you have any questions about this article or you would like to talk to Mr. Nahal, please call him directly at (604) 527-4769.