Helping the Injured & Moving Vehicles After a Georgia Car Accident

The scene of an accident is generally a confusing and emotional place, especially if people are injured and vehicles are badly damaged. Here are some tips for aiding the injured and safely moving vehicles after a collision. In addition to the following, contact a personal Georgia car accident lawyer if you have been hurt in a motor vehicle collision.

After a serious car wreck, do not assume a person is uninjured simply because he or she claims to be fine. Always call for professional help right away. Do not move or lift a victim unless absolutely necessary. Unskilled handling of an injury can cause additional and more severe injuries. If you must move a victim because leaving them is unsafe, try not to change his or her position, and keep the victim warm with blankets or coats, if necessary. For serious bleeding, apply pressure with a cloth that’s as clean and thick as possible.

Georgia has a Good Samaritan Law that holds any person harmless for civil damages arising from an act or omission in rendering emergency care. This means that you cannot be sued for injuries a person incurs while you are helping him or her in an emergency. (There may be exceptions to this rule based on who caused the accident.)

If you are involved in a traffic accident on a multilane highway or expressway (and there is no apparent serious injury or death), you must move your vehicle from the roadway to a safe location along the shoulder, emergency lane, median, or any other out-of-the-way place. You should not move, however, if your vehicle cannot be driven normally and successfully, and/or driving your vehicle could present further hazard or harm to you, your vehicle, other people, or the roadway.

If you are unable to move your vehicle, you may authorize or request another licensed driver in the vicinity to move your vehicle. Under the law, the other driver is authorized to comply.

When you take steps to move your vehicle, you will not be considered at-fault in the accident simply because you moved your vehicle. Likewise, moving your vehicle does not affect your ability to file a written report with police, nor can you be accused of failing to stop and provide information. However, be sure to only move your vehicle as far from the collision as necessary to create a safe condition.

Dealing with a car accident, especially if you have been injured, often continues to be difficult even after you have left the scene of an accident. The lawyers at Katz Personal Injury Lawyers can help you handle the process of dealing with insurance companies and other drivers involved in the collision. Contact our office today at (404) 460-0101 for your free consultation. All information is kept strictly confidential and you pay no attorney fees unless we resolve your Georgia car accident by settlement or verdict.