A step by step guide on what to do after a car accident
Steps to take after a car accident to ensure everyone involved is safe and that the insurance claim process is simple and straightforward.
What Should You Do After a Car Accident?
Preparation will protect your ability to file a car insurance claim against an at-fault driver, as well as protect you if another driver wrongfully blames you for the accident. You should be prepared if you are involved in a car accident, whether or not you were at fault. Here’s what you can do in this tense situation. Here are the top 5 things you should do right after being involved in an accident:
1. Stop, you should never drive away from the scene of an accident, even if it’s a minor one.
2. Call the police, even if there are no serious injuries, it is a good idea to contact the authorities. Even if it’s just to make a claim for damage to your vehicle, you may need a police report to file a claim with your insurance company. Unless they are obstructing traffic
3. Make an accurate record & take pictures, when the police arrive, make sure you tell the investigating officer(s) exactly what happened, to the best of your ability. If you do not know certain facts, you should always take pictures of the vehicles any visible body injuries.
4. Exchange rate, if the police have not yet arrived at the scene of the accident, you should obtain the names, addresses, and phone numbers of all parties involved.
5. Report the accident, as soon as possible you should notify your insurance company. Many policies require prompt reporting you should check to see if your insurance policy includes medical coverage.
Key Points
- The very first thing you must do after an accident is to stop and exchanging details with the other driver.
- It’s vital to limit your conversation about the accident to a minimum and avoid admitting fault or liability. You should only mention the accident that happened to the police, medical professionals, and insurance representatives.
- Your policy will tell you how long you have until you need to notify your insurance company about a car accident.
Collect the Right Information
Exchange details with the other driver involved
To any other drivers involved in the accident, you typically only need to provide your name and insurance information. While you may want to discuss the specifics of the accident with the other driver, you should keep your interactions to a minimum.
The important things that you need to share are the name and insurance information of the other driver, other driver’s telephone number if they are willing to provide them, witness contact information, photos of any damage, police report number, the police officer’s name and any personal notes on what happened during the incident.
Keep a record of the accidents
If you need to file a claim, it would be easier to collect as much information as possible and provide evidence to your insurer. Take note of the following: the time and date of the accident, the make, model, colour, and number plates of the vehicles involved, weather, lighting, and road conditions, car damage and affected parts and finally, writing a detailed account of what happened with photographs as evidence.
Limit Your Conversation With the Other Party
The first rule is to never apologize, although it may appear that saying “sorry” is a courteous gesture, it may leave you liable for the repairs. Making an apology is not a legal admission of guilt, but it could be used against you if you file a claim.
It’s critical to keep the conversation about the accident to a bare minimum and to avoid admitting fault or liability. You should only tell the police, medical professionals, and insurance representatives about the accident.
You should keep your conversation brief and avoid admitting fault because this could be used against you if you file a claim.
Notify Your Insurance Provider About the Accident
The other driver may file a claim against you, so it’s best to first tell your insurer your side of the story. That’s why it is very important to notify your insurer after a car accident.
If anyone else involved in the accident or their insurer contacts you directly, simply ask them to contact your insurer instead. The claim can now be handled by your insurer.
Make sure to file a claim before your insurance company dismisses it.
Make a Decision About Filing a Claim
It’s tempting to offer to pay cash for the other driver’s repairs if the accident was your fault and the damage appears minor. However, it may be more expensive than you think. Even if the other driver is at fault, you may be required to use your own insurance. Here are the things you should keep in mind:
– Prepare to pay a deductible if you file a claim with your insurance agent, your insurance provider will connect with the other driver’s insurer and if necessary, refund your deductible.
– If you are not at fault, your policy coverage pays for injuries to you and everyone else in the car, however, you’d still be able to sue later if you suffered serious injuries.
– The insurance company for the other driver would look into whether or not its client was at fault. Following that, you will be asked to obtain an estimated price for you damanges or an adjuster will assess the damage for you.
– Unless you are in a no-fault state, the company may cover medical expenses, however, in both cases, you will only be reimbursed up to the liability limits of the at-fault driver.
If that isn’t enough to cover all of your expenses, you may be able to rely on your own accident coverage if you have it.