Accidents can happen anywhere and at anytime. It can happen while you’re driving or playing sports. It can happen while you’re on a trip or even at home. No one can prepare themselves for an accident, but they can undoubtedly arm themselves with the knowledge to do right after.
It’s estimated that about 24 million people visit the hospital annually due to unintentional injuries. Only a tiny percentage of them are significant accidents that have the potential to be lethal. If you’re a part of the majority and you find yourself in a middle of a minor accident, here are some essential things you should do.
Check for Injuries
The first and foremost thing you should do is check for injuries. After that, you’ll have to limit yourself and every part of your body, even factors you think might be unrelated to the injury.
If you want to check yourself efficiently, follow this guide:
- Head: Look for any cuts, bruises, or swelling. A soft spot on your skin can indicate bruises. It won’t necessarily hurt the first time, but take caution in touching them. If you have any pain in your neck or head, it might be an indication of a concussion or whiplash. In this case, you should seek immediate medical attention.
- Eyes: Check to see if your vision is blurred in any way. Also, look out for foreign objects that might be stuck in your eye. If you have anything blocking your vision, do not try to remove it yourself. It might take some time before your vision comes back to normal. Don’t panic if it hasn’t for a while.
- Nose: Examine your nose for any deformities. It might be broken if you can’t breathe properly through your nose. Severely injured noses might require surgery to fix them.
- Mouth: Check to see if you have any loose or missing teeth. Also, see if there’s any blood coming from your gums or lips.
- Neck: Try to touch your chin to your chest. If you can’t do this, you might have a neck injury. Do not try to move your head too much as it might worsen the damage.
- Back: Look for any tender spots on your back. It might be difficult to reach some parts of your back, so ask someone else to help you check.
- Arms and Legs: Look for cuts, bruises, or swelling in your arms and legs. If you can’t move one of your limbs properly, it might be fractured. In this case, don’t try to move it too much as it might cause further damage.
If you have any injuries requiring medical attention, you should go to the hospital as soon as possible. If the damage is not severe, then you can wait and see if it gets better on its own. However, if the pain persists or worsens, you should seek medical help.
Call The Authorities if Needed
After you’ve checked for injuries, you should call the authorities if the accident warrants it. If anyone is seriously injured or the accident has caused a lot of property damage, you should contact the police.
The police will file a report which will be helpful if you need to make an insurance claim. They will also be able to direct traffic if the accident has caused a roadblock. If the accident happened in a public place, then the police can also help you with that.
In some cases, you might not need to call the police. This is relatively common if the accident is related to sports or on private property. If you’re unsure whether or not you should contact the police, you can always err on the side of caution and give them a call.
Consider Your Treatment Options
Once things have settled, it’s time to consider treatment options for your injuries. If the injuries are minor, you might not need any treatment. In this case, you can wait for the wounds to heal. However, some minor injuries like tooth loss might require immediate intervention.
Dental injuries are the most common reasons why people lose their teeth. But people can usually put their teeth back three hours after the injury. However, after that, a tooth implant is required. It might be a better option to get an implant if the tooth you lost is chipped or some part is still lodged in your gums.
However, if you have more severe injuries, you might need to see a doctor or go to the hospital. For example, you should get X-rays if you have any fractures. You might also need surgery if your injuries are severe enough.
Minor physical accidents can happen to anyone, and it’s important to know what to do after one occurs. This article outlines the five most important things you should do after a minor accident. Doing these things lets you know what to do after such an accident.
