Navigate carefully in big events

Hindsight is 20/20, and foresight is a gift, but when an unexpected predicament stares you in the face, you can suddenly develop blurry vision. There are either too many choices or not enough.

To make the unanticipated a little easier to navigate, here are the steps you should take to find your way through these and other “I didn’t see that coming” scenarios.

You’ve been fired

First: Apply right away for unemployment benefits. If this sounds obvious, it’s not. The average unemployed person spends just over four months out of work, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. And yet “only about 80 percent of those who qualify (for benefits) do file,” says Thomas Fuller, communications director for the Oregon Department of Employment. “There’s no reason not to take advantage of those benefits, since your former employer’s tax dollars fund them, whether you use them or not.”

Then: Enlist legal services if you feel your dismissal involves discrimination or breach of contract, advises Pearl Zuchlewski, former chair of the New York State Bar Association Labor and Employment Law Section. But don’t threaten legal action before you’ve confirmed with a lawyer that your case has legs, and try not to burn bridges with your former employer.

“Cases are settled without trial 99 percent of the time,” Zuchlewski says, “and you don’t want to make it more difficult to come to a resolution.”

You witness a crime

First: Protect yourself. There’s a fine line between being a Good Samaritan and needlessly putting yourself at risk. You won’t be able to help the other person if you’re in danger as well, so take yourself out of harm’s way before calling 911 for help.

Then: Spend a few seconds memorizing a clue, like a physical characteristic of the suspect or a license-plate number, says Elaine Cloyd, president of Crime Stoppers USA. “In a time of distress,” she says, “it’s difficult to remember too much. But you might remember at least one really specific detail that can turn out to be important.”

Your receive bad news from the doctor

First: Put away your car keys. Unless you want to risk turning a health threat into an injury, don’t try to drive while you’re distraught. Instead, “call someone to give you a ride or take a taxi,” advises Gordon Harper, an associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School.

Then: Take a deep breath and “think about what you’ve heard in as logical a fashion as you can,” says J. Edward Hill, M.D., a former president of the American Medical Association. “Ask your physician questions about how the diagnosis was made.”

Get a second opinion, and study your health-plan coverage to help you make decisions about treatment. Finally, think carefully about what information you want to share with others, advises Mary Jane Massie, an attending psychiatrist at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center: “To not tell means you don’t get support. But to tell some people means you may be overwhelmed with phone calls you can’t answer or intrusive involvement from people you barely know.”

You come into money

First: Stash your cash. No, a first-class trip to Disneyland is not the best first response to a sudden influx of riches. Instead, immediately put the money in a low-risk interest-bearing account, such as a three-month treasury bill, a short-term tax-free bond or a CD (certificate of deposit), advises Nick Childers, a vice president and senior financial adviser for Merrill Lynch. “It gives you a cooling-off period to just relax and think,” he says.

Then: Enlist a team of professionals, including a financial adviser, an attorney and a CPA, to help you figure out what you ultimately want to do with the money and to make sure you take the appropriate tax approach from the start.

Get referrals from people you trust, and take your time interviewing each person. And never decide what to do with the money – even to donate to a good cause – until you speak with your team, says Donna VanCleave, interim executive director of the Virginia Lottery, one of the 12 Mega-Millions states. Then, if you still want to, take your family out to any theme park you’d like.

Your pet runs away

First: “Call all shelters within a 60-mile radius of your home,” not just the nearest ones, says Stephanie Shain, director of outreach for the Humane Society of the United States. Between 600,000 and 750,000 cats and dogs are reclaimed by owners from shelters each year. You can also try your police department and local veterinarians.

Then: “Make a flyer with a current picture of your pet that shows details of its face and the proportions of its body,” says Kari Harendorf, an animal trainer and the host of Animal Planet’s K9 Karma. “Include its sex, age, color and weight; the date and area the animal was last seen; and your phone number, and post the flyers everywhere – schools, community centers, even the pet-food aisle of your grocery store.”

You’re lost in the woods

First: Stop and listen. You might hear people on other trails or the distant sound of a freeway, which can steer you toward civilization.

Then: Stay put if you don’t hear anything or can’t reach the source of the sound. “Searchers work very methodically,” says Adrienne Freeman, a ranger at Yosemite National Park. “So if you’re moving around, you might walk yourself back to an area that has already been searched and may not be searched again.”

If you’re carrying a mirror or some other reflective item, use it to catch the sun – and the attention of helicopters and ground searchers. Or blow a whistle if you have one, but don’t waste too much energy shouting for help.