If you are involved in a car accident in Yakima County, Wash. , you will likely depend on the Yakima County Sheriff’s Office to come to your aid. According to a news report, you can expect them to reach you in a reasonable amount of time.
In 2011, the Yakima County Sheriff’s Office responded to almost 700 non-injury accidents. For 2012, that figure dropped to about 500. In both years, the average response time for a non-injury accident was around 20 minutes. Although non-injury accidents decreased in 2012, the number of injury accidents reached nearly 300, an increase of almost 100. Residents told a local television news station that they were happy with the arrival times for emergency personnel. Of course, residents and law enforcement officers alike would like to improve the response time, but that could require additional officers, according to a spokesperson for the sheriff’s office.
How You Can Improve Response Time
If you are involved in a Yakima Valley car accident, you can help law enforcement and emergency personnel respond faster.
- Call 911 as soon as possible after the accident.
- Tell the dispatcher immediately if anyone is injured and request an ambulance and emergency rescue workers.
- Provide the dispatcher with as much detail as possible regarding your location. If you do not know the exact address, provide a nearby intersection or the name of a nearby business, park or school.
- If you have no idea where you are, ask a witness to the accident for a location if possible.
- Do not leave the scene of the accident. If you are in danger of being involved in a secondary collision and are able to move your vehicle out of danger, do so. Otherwise, stay put until the police arrive.
What To Do While Waiting for the Police
No one prepares to be involved in an accident, meaning that most people do not know what to do when one occurs. If you find yourself the victim of a car accident, do not move if you think you were seriously injured or if the crash was serious. If you are able to move around, there are a few things you can do while waiting for police and emergency personnel to arrive.
- Check to see if anyone else was hurt and provide any assistance you can to them.
- Get contact information for other drivers involved in the collision.
- Write down the make, model and plate number of other vehicles.
- Check for witnesses to the crash and get their information.
- Do not discuss the collision, particularly whose fault it was, with anyone.
If you have been injured or lost a loved one in a Yakima Valley area car accident, you could be entitled to compensation for your injuries or your loss. The Yakima Valley car accident attorneys at Mariano Morales Law can help you get through the legal process and make sure that the party responsible for your injuries or loss is held accountable. Contact the team today by calling (509) 853-2222 or by using our online contact form for your free initial consultation.
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