Witnessing an accident can be a frightening experience and it can be difficult to know what to do. However, if you happen to be one of the first people to witness a pedestrian accident, you are in a unique position to help the person who is injured and with quick action, you may even be able to save their life. Here’s how you can help someone who has been in a pedestrian accident.
Call for Help
The very first thing you should do after witnessing a pedestrian accident is to call for help. If you are the only one on the scene and have a cell phone, call 911. If you and one or more others are at the scene, one person should call 911 and another person can attend to the victim. If you do not have a phone, call out to others who may be near for help.
Protect Them from Additional Harm
A pedestrian who has been hit by a vehicle is at an increased risk of being injured again if others do not see the accident and also crash into them. To ensure own safety and the victim’s, make sure that all traffic has stopped. You can then signal to others around that there has been an accident, and emergency service operators can give you information on how to best protect the victim from additional harm given the circumstances.
Follow Emergency Services Instructions
When you call for help, emergency service operators may ask you to assess the victim to determine if they have a pulse, are breathing, or are bleeding heavily from anywhere. The operators may instruct you on how to look for certain signs and coach you on what to do if the victim is seriously injured. For example, you may be asked by emergency service operators to perform CPR on the victim until help arrives.
Give Your Witness Testimony
Once the victim receives medical attention, you should seek out the police officer who responded to the scene. The officer may approach you first for questions. You should provide your witness statement to the officer, letting them know everything you saw occur starting at the beginning of the accident. This will be a very important part of the victim’s case later on.
If you’ve been a witness to someone who was in a pedestrian accident, the most important thing you can do is call for help and let the authorities know what you saw happen. If you or a loved one were hurt in a pedestrian accident, you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries. Contact us today for a consultation by calling 855-693-9084 or 978-744-8000.
