When you are involved in a traffic accident, what should you do first? How should you respond?

Please follow the steps introduced here.
I also followed this procedure after an accident and everything was fine.

The accident I encountered was not a major accident that resulted in casualties, but rather a rear-end collision from a vehicle behind me. Fortunately, nothing serious happened, but the police's procedures and efficiency were praised during the investigation.

Here, we will explain two golden rules that victims should never do after an accident and five golden rules that they should do first, as well as explain the reasons in detail.
Once you have finished reading, you will understand the correct etiquette for what to do in the event of an accident.

The perpetrator may not always respond appropriately.

Although the perpetrator does not intentionally cause an accident, there are two things that you should never respond to, even though their initial reaction may seem right at first glance.

Two golden rules you should never do

1. Do not conduct settlement negotiations just between the parties!
2. Financial settlements cannot be settled between the parties alone!

At first glance, it may seem like a kind response from the perpetrator, but later on it becomes a big problem, irreversible, and something you will regret.

Even though you know what you shouldn't do, what about the following situations?

Both cases are real stories.

“Relentless advances”

After an accident, both parties typically exchange contact information. Anyone can feel anxious and upset if they receive a text message from that number that says, ``It's your fault,'' or ``Admit your fault,'' or other threatening or coercive messages.
This is a case where the other party's attitude suddenly softens and the other party approaches them directly for settlement negotiations.

No matter how much fault there is on the part of the perpetrator, if both parties accept settlement negotiations, a settlement will be reached.

“Money resolution request”

Also, there was a case where the accident did not result in a collision, it was only the person who fell down, but the other party forcefully offered money, and it was a hefty sum of 10,000 yen, so he was unable to refuse and accepted the offer. is.

If the perpetrator is a person who is used to accidents or is a professional driver such as a taxi or truck driver, there will be no impact on their job or license points, especially if they can get better with money.

Also, they know that it is more profitable to deal with a property damage accident than with a personal injury accident, so they may insist that the accident be treated as a property damage accident.

For victims, the amount of compensation is higher in the case of a personal injury accident than in a property damage accident, and they can also claim for medical expenses, hospital transportation expenses, and compensation for lost work. In addition, points will be added to the driver's license for the at-fault driver, and in addition to administrative penalties such as license suspension or revocation, criminal penalties may be imposed depending on the degree of injury, and civil litigation may be taken to pay compensation and appropriate compensation. It is also possible to charge a fee.

Let's remember! !

The benefits to the victim are greater in accidents involving personal injury than in accidents involving property damage!

Next, I would like you to cover the following five golden rules.

Five rules you should always follow

Recording is better than memory! We strongly recommend saving it to your smartphone! !
Here, we present five manners and behaviors that should be followed during the initial response in the event of a traffic accident. Since you may be in a situation where it is difficult to act calmly, we recommend that you put it in a memo app on your smartphone so that you can respond quickly.

1. Please take out your mobile phone

If you are in an accident, your first action should be to take out your cell phone. This may seem obvious, but many things can be done with a single mobile phone, such as contacting the police, fire department, parents, and family members, taking pictures of the accident situation, and recording information on the perpetrator.
I think there are very few people who don't always carry a cell phone with them. Accidents can happen anytime and anywhere while walking, biking, or driving. After an accident, a mobile phone is essential for prompt and appropriate action and etiquette. If you use a smartphone, you can also take photos and videos with one tap. In the unlikely event that you leave the scene, it is important to keep your license plate in check, and above all, it is important to reprimand the other party for strange behavior. Also, please keep in mind that this will serve as important evidence in determining the percentage of fault in the future.

2. Report to the police

The next step is to report it to the police. The contact method is 110. Reporting a traffic accident is the responsibility of the driver, regardless of the size of the accident. Please contact someone who is able to make a report. Passengers may contact you. Not only is it a legal obligation to report the accident to the police, but if you do not report the accident, you will not be able to receive a ``traffic accident certificate'', which is a necessary document when making an insurance claim. Please be sure to report.
Some perpetrators may offer to settle the matter on the spot without reporting it to the police, but victims should never accept this. Settlement negotiations are valid if an agreement is reached during on-the-spot discussions. If you later need to pay for medical treatment or have a residual disability, you will no longer be able to claim compensation.
An emergency telephone is also available as an emergency contact method in case you are involved in a traffic accident on the expressway. They are installed every 1 kilometer, and the tunnels are spaced 200 meters apart. If you pick up the receiver, you will be connected to the road administrator's traffic control room.

3. Prevent secondary disasters

After the accident, if the person is conscious and has no injuries, it is important to prevent a secondary accident from occurring. The following is a natural secondary disaster caused by the perpetrator, but the mental state of the other party is also panic. Even if you are a victim, be sure to take measures against secondary disasters.

Three correct measures to prevent secondary disasters

Please pay close attention to the vehicles following you and your surroundings, and take the following measures to prevent secondary disasters.

1. Inform of danger.
   To prevent a rear-end collision from a vehicle following you, the hazard lights will signal you to be careful.
2. Smoke bombs and stop indicator equipment are installed at the rear.
   If you have passengers, please evacuate to a safe place such as outside a guardrail. It's dangerous inside the car. The same applies at night and on rainy days. Pay close attention to the vehicles behind you and your surroundings, conduct thorough safety checks, and set up flares and stop indicators behind the stopped vehicle (at least 50 meters away).
3. Evacuate to a safe place.
   Drivers should also evacuate to a safe location, such as outside a guardrail.

4. Record of accident situation

If you are injured, you should not overdo it, but if you check and record the circumstances of the accident to the extent possible, your subsequent claim for compensation will go smoothly. First of all, what caused the accident?
Also, which one is at fault? If the police come, please tell them about the circumstances surrounding the accident.
In addition, the following items must be confirmed as perpetrator information.

This is an essential confirmation item for perpetrator information.

• full name
• address
• contact address
• Compulsory automobile liability insurance
• Insurance company name for optional insurance
• Vehicle number
• Place of work

It is convenient to take a photo Driver's License with your smartphone. Also, take pictures of the accident situation (where the car was stopped, the extent of the damage). If there are any witnesses, record their testimony and ask for their names and contact information. The testimony of eyewitnesses is important material, as there may be differences between the perpetrator and the perpetrator.

5. See a doctor

Even if you are in a state of excitement or have no noticeable symptoms after an accident, if you develop symptoms such as whiplash or intracerebral hemorrhage, death may occur several hours later. Instead of just going to the hospital if you feel pain, go to the hospital after a traffic accident. If you consult a doctor, you will be able to prove the causal relationship in subsequent claims for damages.

Check the perpetrator's compulsory automobile liability insurance and optional insurance

``Compulsory Automobile Liability Insurance,'' which is also an essential item to check above, is the insurance that you are required to take out based on the Automobile Liability Security Act. If you do not join, you will be subject to penalties. (Imprisonment of up to 1 year or fine of up to 500,000 yen)
This is intended to cover damages only in the case of personal injury, and the coverage is a minimum level. Coverage does not apply in the event of property damage. Coverage is limited to 1.2 million yen for personal injury, 30 million yen for death, and 40 million yen for residual disability. Therefore, what is important is ``voluntary insurance'' that drivers can take out voluntarily.
If you suffer serious damage in a traffic accident, it is difficult to guarantee the full amount of compensation with compulsory automobile liability insurance alone, so you will need to take out voluntary insurance to compensate for this.
In addition, the insurance company of the at-fault party will pay compensation for damages, including medical expenses and compensation, so be sure to write down the name of the insurance company and insurance certificate number.
Please note that after an accident, the insurance company that the at-fault party is affiliated with is often responsible for dealing with the accident, so please have the at-fault party contact their insurance company.

[Finally] Accidents are not something uncommon. Be prepared!

In order to avoid traffic accidents, it is important to drive while always remembering that ``accidents are not special and can happen to you at any time.'' However, we hope that this article will be of help to you in the event you are involved in a traffic accident.