Of course, we at Linguanaut hope that you never have to use the information provided in this article, but you should know what to do in case you get hurt, or if you happen to see someone else having an accident.
In case of an accident, you should call the emergency telephone number 112 in Germany. It is the same number if you happen to see a fire. To call the police you have to call 110. Trained personal will try their best to help you get through the situation and send you help. If you don't have a cellphone with you, try to ask someone for a phone by saying: “Haben Sie ein Telefon?” (Do you have a telephone?), or by saying: “Wo finde ich ein Telefon?” (Where can I find a telephone?).
If you fear that your German is not good enough to describe the situation you're currently in, ask for an interpreter by saying: “Ich brauche einen Übersetzer für Englisch.”
You'll need the following sentences in case of an accident:
“Ich habe gerade einen Unfall beobachtet.” - I have just seen an accident.
“Wir müssen das rote Warnsignal aufstellen.” - We must put the red warning triangle.
“Hallo, es gab einen Unfall auf der Straße von … nach ...” - Hello, there has been an accident on the road from … to …
“Hat jemand gesehen wie der Unfall passiert ist?” - Did anyone see how the accident happened?
“Es gibt Schwerverletzte!” - There are severe casualities!
“Meine/Seine/Ihre Blutgruppe ist ...” - My/His/Her blood group is …
“Bringen Sie mich ins Krankenhaus.” - Take me to the hospital.
“Bitte rufen Sie einen Arzt!” - Please call a doctor!
“Bitte rufen Sie die Polizei/die Feuerwehr.” - Please call the police/the firefighters.
“Würden Sie mir bitte Ihren Namen und Ihre Adresse geben?” - Would you give me your name and address, please?
“Ich bin Bluter!” - “I'm a bleeder!”
“Ich kann meine Beine nicht fühlen.” - I can't feel my legs.
“Mein Kopf tut weh.” - My head hurts.
“Meine Schulter tut weh.” - My shoulder hurts.
“Kann jemand Mund-zu-Mund-Beatmung?” - Does anyone know mouth to mouth ventilation?
“Bringen Sie ihn/sie in die stabilen Seitenlage.” - Bring him/her in the recovery position.
“Er/Sie hat viel Blut verloren.” - He/she lost a lot of blood.”
“Kommen Sie schnell.” - Please hurry.
German Doctors aren't allowed to refuse the treatment of crash victim, but just like everywhere else, such a treatment can be very, very expensive. So depending where you are from, you might want to get a travel health insurance before you visit Germany, just in case something happens. Better safe than sorry!
