INSURANCE

What To Do After An Accident
A car accident can leave you feeling angry, anxious and scared, so it’s easy to forget the common sense steps that will ensure the insurance claims process for repairing your vehicle happens quickly, accurately and efficiently. If you take the following steps after an accident, you can decrease your chance of complications later.

Stop and identify yourself to the other driver.
If your vehicle can’t be moved, turn on the hazard lights. Proceed carefully to determine if there are injuries and seek medical help if necessary. Notify the police and tell them who you are, where you are and relate the details of the accident.

Exchange information with the other driver, including driver’s license number and vehicle make, model and license plate number. Make sure to get the other driver’s name address, telephone number and the name of his/her insurance company.

Make sure to get the names and badge numbers of any police officers who arrive at the scene of the accident. Police officers will file an accident report, so ask how to obtain a copy of it at a later date.

Avoid extensive discussions about who was responsible for the damage. If the other person admits responsibility and offers a monetary settlement, and you accept it, your right to file a claim against the driver may be compromised. Also, never agree to just forget about the accident. Even though there are no visible signs of damage, you may find there is hidden structural damage. The same is true for bodily injuries that may not be evident until a few days after the accident.

Write a complete description of the accident as soon as possible. Your description should include weather conditions, estimated speeds, time of day, road conditions and the direction you and the other vehicle were traveling at the time of the accident. If you happen to have a camera, take photos of the site.

Notify your insurance company as soon as possible.

Taking these steps will help avoid complications or discrepancies about the details of the accident. It will also provide you with a history for your files, should problems surface after your vehicle has been repaired.