At the law offices of Barry P. Goldberg, ‘Always Be Prepared’ is the mantra for 2017! It never hurts to be a prepared — or even a tad bit over-prepared. Car emergencies and auto accidents are a fairly frequent occurrence in the San Fernando Valley. If you are a car owner and a regular driver, here are a few tips on what to have in your car for emergency situations.
Extra Emergency Cash
With so many of us relying on credit cards and debit cards, we often don’t think about carrying around cash. A little extra cash might come in handy from time to time. It’s easy to lose a wallet or a credit card. Stash some emergency cash to be used only in a true emergency situation and it might get you out of a few tight spots.
Jumper Cables
A dead battery is a fairly common issue car owners tend to face, so an important skill is to know how to jump start a dead battery. Buy a pair of jumper cables—at least 6 ft. to 8 ft. long—and keep them in your trunk for when the need arises.
Tire Changing Tools
A spare tire is a necessary item in every car owner’s arsenal. You might find yourself at the side of the road in the middle of the night with a flat tire and no one to help you. In those cases, a spare tire, coupled with a tire iron and a tire jack, will be your savior.
Bottled Water
Keeping a few bottles of water in your car may end up saving your life—literally. The bottled water may definitely come in handy during dramatic situations where you’re stuck in your car with no civilization or water sources in sight for miles. However, it’s more likely that you may use it for more run of the mill situations, like if you’re stuck in traffic on the 101 and get thirsty.
Blanket
A warm blanket will allow you to keep warm if you are traveling and get stuck in a rainstorm or on a cold Valley winter night, or protect you if you need to sit out on the sun-warm road to change a flat tire.
Traction Mat
A traction mat is a life-saver in the event of the car getting stuck in a patch of mud, ice, or snow. With this handy little item you can get out of a sticky situation with relative ease.
Emergency Cell Phone
An extra cell phone to make emergency calls when needed is never a bad idea. You never know when an extra phone can come in handy.
Next Steps
Your car breaking down can be quite a taxing experience, but motor accidents are even more daunting. It can be harrowing and traumatic, and lead to injuries that significantly impact your life. For this reason, it can be necessary to hire a personal injury attorney to make sure that you receive adequate compensation for any injuries you sustained as a result of another person’s negligence. Contact attorney Barry P. Goldberg today for a free consultation.
