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Car Accident What To Do After An Accident
Car accidents happen, and sooner or later almost every driver will be involved in a car accident. Even a minor car accident can be a stressful situation. After making sure everyone inside and outside of your car is safe, you may soon realize that a valuable possession (your car) is damaged. Who is at fault? How much will it cost to repair the damage? What information should I collect and from whom? These and other questions flash through your mind. Here's some practical advice on what to do after a car accident.
Move your car. Consider yourself lucky if your accident occurs in an empty parking lot. If, however, your car accident occurs on the highway or busy street, the first thing you may need to do is move your car to the side of the road. Minor car accidents need not obstruct the flow of traffic, and doing so can cause another larger collision. If your car is not moveable, switch on the hazard lights and turn the car off. If you can do so safely, take some pictures before you move your car so that you record exact positions.
Everyone get safe. Look around to make sure that everyone involved in the accident is safe and not injured. If someone is injured, call or ask other motorists to call emergency services 911 immediately for medical assistance. If the area around the accident creates a hazard to others, call the police. Move to a safe location.
Exchange information. Gather the names, addresses, driver's license numbers, and phone numbers of the people involved in the car accident. Write down the driver's insurance company name, insurance company phone number, and the car's registration plate number plus state. Witnesses and passengers can be helpful, so write down their contact information too.
Avoid discussion. In the moments after an accident, it's easy to say things that later might not make sense or cause further harm. You don't need to admit fault at the scene of a car accident. In general, it is best to only make a statement to the police if necessary. If you agree to a cash settlement on the spot, you might later find additional damage or injury. Delay any settlement discussions until you have had more time to think things over. Blame in a car accident, or fault, is best decided by experts. In the case of minor accidents, the experts are often the competing insurance company claim departments. Major accidents may require a judge and jury to establish fault in court.
Police information. If a police officer is called or arrives on the scene, write down his or her name and badge number. A police report is necessary if there are injuries or extensive damage to cars or other property. You will want to get a copy of the police report.
Describe the accident. As soon as you can, take notes and make sketches of the position of the cars involved in the accident. Stick figure like sketches are fine. The purpose is to remind yourself of any important details you may forget over time. Other useful pieces of information include time, date, weather conditions, speed estimates, direction of travel, and lane of travel.
Tow your car. Tow or drive your car to a repair facility if necessary. If the police are on the scene they can call a tow truck for you. Otherwise call your insurance company and ask for help locating a tow truck, or call a friend and ask them to look in the Yellow Pages for a number to call.
Notify your insurance company. The sooner you notify your insurance company the better. Read any "How To Report a Claim" information that was provided to you by your car insurance company. Look at your insurance certificate for the correct number to call. Claims departments are generally open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. After the initial phone call, you will need to submit a Claim Report form. All those notes and sketches will make the report easy to complete.
Always remember to stay calm. Yelling and fighting at the scene of a car accident never helps anyone. In fact doing so can incur fines, jail time, and get you into even more trouble. Take notes as best as you can so that the details will stay fresh in your mind.
