Accidents are terrible and life-scarring experiences. So, a car accident survivor needs all the love and care they can get. The kind of support they receive from friends and family can determine the extent of their recovery. Even if a car accident victim’s bodily injuries heal totally, they may still have emotional scars.
Your words can help heal these scars or make them worse. So, you have to choose what you say to a car accident survivor carefully. You may have good intentions, but your words may show otherwise. Whatever you say to accident survivors, it’s always best to help them get a lawyer. An Atlanta car accident lawyer can help you hold the fault driver responsible for the accident.
Some Useful Things To Say to Car Accident Survivors
Below are some helpful ways of comforting car crash survivors:
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I’m Glad You’re Okay
No matter what someone loses in a car crash, it’s always a joyous thing that they’re alive. At that harrowing moment, survivors understand the value of life so much. Knowing that someone else is happy that they survived a crash may well be the best event of that day.
So, it would be best to fully express how happy you are that the victim survived the accident. It’s not the time to start lamenting about how expensive the car was. It would help if you didn’t also talk about the repair costs. Such comments may make them feel less valuable than the properties.
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It’s Not Your Fault
Many auto crash survivors feel that they were the cause of their misfortune. However, self-blame and loathing will only make them worse. So, help the victim see that the accident wasn’t their fault. Also, make sure they don’t tell anyone, especially the insurers, that they were at fault. The insurance company may interpret this as them accepting responsibility for the crash.
Then, they’ll have to pay the other driver. You should say this to them even if they were actually at fault. For instance, they may have been driving under the influence or carelessly. Even then, the period after the accident is certainly not the right time to give them a lecture on proper driving.
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What Can I Do For You?
A car accident survivor still has life responsibilities to cater to. So, hearing another person ask how they can help can be very comforting. If you offer to help, it would be best to be willing and ready to help them. Many burdens are requiring their attention. Therefore, you could:
- Get them food
- Clean the house and take care of their pets
- Prepare and take their kids to school
- Just sit down and listen to them talk
- Offset medical and other bills
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How Are You Doing/Feeling?
Many car accident survivors are left with emotional scars. Asking how they’re doing or feeling is certainly a sign that you care. That’s welcome because they need a lot of care at that point. Since the victim can be having multiple feelings, you should be prepared to hear anything. It could range from gratitude to fear and even pain and loss.
Whatever they’re feeling, just sit and listen to them. Listening also isn’t a one-time thing. You might have to ask this question multiple times. Furthermore, each time, you’ll most likely get a different answer. However, if you’re there for them, they’ll pull through.
What if They Survived the Accident and Lost a Loved One?
There’s no “right word” for someone who lost a loved one in a vehicle collision. This is because you can’t say anything to bring back the dead. Losing a loved one is harder to deal with than if someone were alone in an accident.
However, you can still express your sympathy and condolence. Use the clues we discussed above. Generally, be there for them. Also, help them not to blame themselves too much. Self-blame can’t bring back the dead, either. So, it’s a useless emotion that can only lead to self-harm.
Get the Car Accident Survivor Legal Aid!
Even if you say the right words to an accident survivor, they may still bear the crash’s financial consequences. The only way they can escape such out-of-pocket expenses is by getting a Georgia car accident lawyer. A great lawyer can help make the fault driver pay for putting them through such a horrendous experience.
With the survivor’s mental and emotional state, proceeding against the fault party alone may be difficult. Thus, it’s great news that our lawyers at Calvin Smith Law are skilled to handle these cases. Therefore, it would be best to call us today for a FREE consultation on your auto accident case.
