How To Proceed If You Have Been Involved In An Accident While Running

There are four main steps you should follow right after you’ve been involved in an accident while running. Here’s what to do!

When a person goes running on a public road, they should be cautious of their surroundings in order to avoid or reduce the risk of getting hit by a vehicle.

But no matter how careful the runner may be, there is still the possibility that they could get injured by a vehicle.

When that happens, there are many things that the runner will need to do to take care of their health, their safety, and their financial situation.

One of the steps that are recommended by a lawyer referral network is that the injured runner hires a lawyer to represent them.

The reason is that an attorney can help them to get the compensation they need to take care of any expenses that were caused by the injury. Those expenses could be anything from:

• Medical bills;
• Damaged property;
• Lost wages;
• Pain and suffering;
• And more.

They can all add up quickly, which is why compensation can help.

What To Do When You’re Involved In An Accident While Running

Here are the four steps you must follow if you have been involved in an accident while running:

1. Call The Authorities

The first thing an injured runner should do is to call 911.

The paramedics will arrive to take care of the runner’s injuries and the police will investigate the scene to learn more about what happened.

If it was a hit-and-run accident, then the police can be useful in tracking the driver down.

2. Take Down The Details

If it is possible to do so, then you should take pictures of the accident scene since they can help to prove that the driver was responsible for the accident.

You should also take note of as many details of the car as possible; that includes the make and model of the vehicle, its color, any identifying marks, and whatever you can identify of the license plate.

If there were any witnesses around, then you should try to get their contact information so that you can get in touch with them later on if necessary.

3. Get Medical Attention

It goes without saying that when a car hits a pedestrian, the pedestrian could get seriously injured. Even if you do not believe that you were injured too badly, you should still seek medical attention.

Some latent injuries might not show up immediately after the accident and some minor injuries could get worse over time.

So it is vital that you get a thorough medical evaluation after an accident to make sure that your health and well-being are taken care of.

4. Make A Claim Against The Driver

When a driver hits a pedestrian, the driver is nearly always deemed to be the one at fault. That means the injured runner has a good chance of success when they make a claim against the driver that hit them.

The reason is that most states have laws that require drivers to be alert to the road and any hazards on it. In the case of an accident with a pedestrian, the pedestrian would be considered a hazard.

That means the driver would be considered negligent and that their auto insurance company has to provide compensation to the injured runner.

There may be cases where the municipality where the accident took place shares some responsibility for the accident. That can happen if there was a condition that made the road unsafe for pedestrians.

If you were in an accident where you were injured by a car while you were running, then you should contact an attorney to find out if the municipality shares some of the blame with the driver.

Conclusion

Remember the four main steps you should follow right after you’ve been involved in an accident while running!

First, call 911 for help, then note any details you can and get medical attention, and in the end, you can file a claim against the driver.