Being involved in a car accident is always scary. If you’re in a minor accident, you have to be able to keep your mind right to make sure you get everything in proper order for your future insurance claim.
Hashing out the details and fault of an accident is your insurance company’s job, but it’s a hard process when the driver doesn’t know how to properly document the crash.
Take a moment to educate yourself, and check out a few things you should always remember to do after being involved in a car accident.
See if everyone is okay
As soon as your vehicle comes to a complete stop, you need to take a quick assessment. Check to see if everyone in the vehicle is okay.
Exit the vehicle as soon as possible. You don’t know what damage has been done to the vehicle, and it may not be safe to remain in the car.
Move your vehicle somewhere safe
If it is possible, you can move your vehicle to a safer place. You won’t face any sort of legal repercussions from moving your vehicle out of harm’s way.
If possible, move the vehicle to the side or completely off of the roadway to lower the danger level of the situation. If the vehicle won’t move and it’s in a dangerous place, just get as far away from it as possible until help arrives.
Call the local authorities
As soon as you’re safe, call the police. Don’t rely on the action of others to get help. Make the call just in case no one else has reported the incident.
The local authorities will let you know that they are already on their way if someone else has already made the call. There’s no harm in being the second or third person to report the accident.
Gather information from everyone involved
The police will go around to everyone involved in the accident to record their name, address, and insurance information. However, you shouldn’t solely rely on the local authorities.
Take your own notes concerning the accident before you leave the scene. Take pictures of all the vehicles involved in the accident for visual evidence. Talk to the people involved, and get their insurance information along with their name and number.
Call your insurance agent
As soon as you are finished dealing with the police and have made it safely home, make a phone call to your auto insurance agent to start the process of your accident claim.
The sooner you notify your insurance company of an accident, the quicker they can work through the paperwork to provide you with a little financial relief.
