Car accidents whether small or big are not fun but knowing what you should do in the event of an accident will help you get through it with fewer problems and hardship.
The first thing that you have to do is make sure you are safe. Hopefully the traffic around you will stop but there are always fools that try to make it around an accident on the side of the road or even drive through accident scenes to be on their way. If you are not hurt and your car is not damaged to the point where you think it may catch fire you should stay in your vehicle and call for help.
Calling 911 is your best bet and if you can give the operator your exact location and some identifying features of what is around you such as commercial buildings, homes or distance from the nearest crossroad. Although some smaller accidents can be handled between the people involved it is always best to have a police report. You should never be scared to get the police involved. This is their job and if there is no violations involved then no one will be sited. It is also the best way to make sure licenses and insurance provided by other people in the accident are valid.
Take Pictures
If you are safe and uninjured then you should take pictures of the accident scene and the damage to the vehicles.
This is very important in multi car accidents where a driver 2 or more cars back may be the reason for the accident. Get a photograph of their license plate and take pictures of everything around you.
Exchange Drivers Licenses And Insurance Information
It is important that you get information from everyone involved in the accident. You need to get the person’s name address telephone number and their drivers license, insurance company and insurance policy number.
There should also be a contact number on the person’s insurance card but your insurance person should also have contact information.
Calling For A Tow
If you need a Tow to get your car home or to a repair shop you will probably do best to have your car brought to your home if you can. If you know a repair shop you will need to call them to arrange a drop off if you allow the tow truck operator to take your car to their lot or to a repair center that you have no relationship with you may end up paying for expensive storage and repairs.
Read the Tow Contract and make sure it does not include a clause that allows the tow company or a repair shop to do work on your car. This is a sneaky way to lock you into repairs that will often cost you much more then you are willing to pay.
If you can tow the vehicle to your home you will need to have it dropped off on your property. Do not leave it in the street if it can not be moved by you or you may end up having the local streets department or government sending out a tow truck to pickup your car without your permission. Don’t leave it in the street.
Report The Accident To Your Insurance Company
It is important that you report the accident to your insurance company as soon as you can. This is important if you were the cause of the accident or not because it will allow them to have necessary information when other people in the accident start contacting your agent.
You also want to provide your agent with copies of all photographs and information about the officer that responded to the accident. The insurance company can get a copy of the police report if necessary.
Final Note
It is important that you have a talk with your insurance representative and get a good understanding of how they expect you to report accidents. Drivers training courses are also a great way to get a deduction on your insurance and learn more about how to handle an accident.
The most important thing to do is make sure you are safe and then document everything you can.
Calling Police to respond is also a good idea because you never know the extent of injury that can be delayed by an adrenaline rush. It can be common to have delayed reactions including things as serious as a heart attack from stress. You may even find other drivers become violent.