Hopefully you will never be involved in an auto accident or need to file an insurance claim. Even the most careful and skilled drivers, however, can simply find themselves in the middle of a crash. Would you know what to do? Awareness of what to do after the auto accident can help in making the insurance claims process less complicated and smoother so you are back on the road faster.
If you are in an auto accident:
1. Try to stay calm, stop your car and check for injuries. The life and health of you, your passengers and the other people involved in the accident is much more important than the automobile itself.
2. If needed, call the police and make them aware of the accident, your location, what quantity of people are involved, whether there are wounds and the kinds of injuries.
3. You may need to take reasonable steps to guard yourself, and your vehicle, from further damage. Wherever possible and if legal, move the autos to the side of the road and turn on your hazards as quickly as it is safe. If you have flares, you may want to use them to alert oncoming traffic and to prevent additional crashes.
4. Taking tons of notes is a good practice, like:
• the date, time and location of the accident
• how the accident happened - infrequently a drawing is worth one thousand words and can help reinforce what you've noted
• the type and location of damage to your car
• the type and location of damage to the other autos or property concerned
the names, addresses and contact information of all drivers and passengers involved in the accident
driver's license numbers and all the information on the licenses
• insurance identifications including the name of the insurance corporation and policy number
• the names, addresses and contact information of witnesses
• the names and badge numbers of police officers or other first reply personnel
(Being able to take notes is vital so keep a pen and pad in your glove box, in case. )
5. You may wish to ask the police officer when and where you can get a copy of the accident report. There's a great chance you'll need it when you submit your insurance claim to your insurer.
6. It's usually a good idea to call your insurance company right away and report the accident because the sooner they know about the accident the faster they can start working to solveresolve your insurance claim. As well, they'll be able to explain the next steps, like where to have the car towed if necessary and arrange for an adjuster to come out and appraise the damage before any repair work is done.
7. There are a couple of don'ts you probably want to consider like don't talk about the financial limits of your auto insurance policy and avoid discussing the responsibility for the problem or circumstances of the accident with anyone other than the police or a representative of your insurance company.
Auto accidents take a significant toll on anyone involved. But, if you stay calm, make safety your first prioity and follow all of the tips discussed, you will get through the problem of being in an accident and submitting an insurance claim.
