What should you do when you are in an auto accident? This is a question that many people ask themselves after they have been involved in a car crash. In this blog post, we will go over some tips and guidance to help anyone who finds themselves in this unfortunate situation. We hope the following information helps!
1. Make sure you are not injured, then make sure others are not injured.
This might seem obvious as you are reading this but an auto accident happens extremely fast and sometimes leads people to make mistakes. The first thing you will want to do is make sure you and your passengers are not hurt. If not, you should get out of your vehicle and see if anyone else is hurt.
2. Call 911 if there are any injuries or damage to either vehicle
You need to call 911 if there are any injuries or if there is serious damage to any of the vehicles. The police will come and make a report which is necessary if you want to file an insurance claim after the accident. The others involved in the accident may take blame immediately but stories can change when insurance is involved.
You also need to call 911 even if there is only minor damage or no injuries because it can later become serious when more people are hurt from any delayed medical problems that might be caused by the crash. The police report is key since they will have a record of what happened at the time it happened that you can use for insurance and other liability purposes.
3. Exchange information with the other driver, including name, address, phone number, license plate number for both vehicles.
Exchanging information is important so you can make sure you are both covered through your insurance policy.
One other thing you should do when exchanging information with someone else involved in an auto accident is get their license plate number for both vehicles so it can be given to your insurance company.
If they do not have their license plate number, you should write down the following: name of the person driving, phone numbers, and home address in case your insurance company needs this information later on for any issues with payment or to get more details about what happened during the accident.
4. Take pictures of the damage to your car and other cars involved in an accident.
This is a very important step since it can be evidence in the event someone lies about what happened. It can save you from being blamed for the accident or from not having enough evidence to prove you are covered by insurance.
To take pictures of damages, you will want to use your camera phone and get both photos and video in case there is any dispute with what happened during the crash.
It might seem like a lot when it comes time but taking pictures of damages and the other driver can be key in getting your insurance claim processed.
5. Contact your insurance company/agent as soon as possible.
You should contact your insurance company as soon as possible if you want to make sure that the other driver was covered. Even though you exchanged information with them, it is good to know what their policy details are and how much they will be paying for any damages or injuries.
Your agent can also help walk through some of these steps and help you make sure that everything is done correctly.
If your agent does not answer, then call the company directly to discuss what happened and if they need more information before filing a claim with them.
In case the person who hit you has no insurance coverage, you will want to call the police immediately and do not accept anything they are going to say further about paying for your damages out of pocket. 9 out of 10 times you will never hear from this person again. Call the police no matter what to make sure they get their correct contact info and a report of what happened in case you need to take them to court.
In Conclusion
When you or your loved one is in an auto accident, it’s important to know what to do. Many things should be taken care of right away and others that can wait until the situation calms down a bit. One thing that should not be put off is contacting your insurance company as soon as possible. If you don’t have an agent yet, now would be the perfect time to find someone local who will work with you every step of the way if disaster strikes again. It does not cost a dime to have a local expert have your back in the event of a claim.
Call Oak City Insurance at 919-917-9700 to save money on your auto insurance and have an expert there to help in the event of an accident.