In a
sickening instant of crunching metal, it upends what you expected to be just
another day. You already know how to keep yourself in check to avoid a car
accident. You always turn down for pedestrians or bad weather conditions. It is
a sad truth, however, that you can be the most considerate person on the road,
but that does not mean you are immune to driving accidents.
Pull Over
Before you start gathering information from the other driver
after a crash, it is important to get to safety as quickly as possible. If you
had a minor fender bender, you do not have to leave the cars where they are.
Often, the police will not come to file a report on a minor accident. Safely
move out of the way of traffic, but if you cannot move your car without causing
further damage, do not try. Your insurance company should be able to hire a tow
truck to move it for you.
Make Sure Everyone Is Okay
Get
medical attention for anyone who needs it. If a person is unconscious or has
neck or back pain, do not move them until qualified medical help arrives,
unless a hazard requires moving the person. If anyone is injured, request
emergency services as well. Police are not necessarily required for every auto
accident, but they do make the claims service go more smoothly. Once you have
ensured that the police are on their way, you can return to your vehicle to wait
for them.
Write Down Information
If you are able to gather all of the information and
details, then you should have no problems in the future with asserting your
rights to a claim or protecting yourself against a false claim. Printing the
list above and storing it in your glove compartment, next to your registration
and insurance, will help guarantee that you do not forget any relevant
information related to the accident.
Call Your Insurance Company
The claim will
usually take 10-15 minutes to complete, so wait until you will have an
uninterrupted space of time to report the accident. Most of the information
your insurance company will ask should be on the police report, so filing the
claim should be straightforward.
Make an Inquiry
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