What do I Do After A Car Accident?

You’ve had the thought before and you may have actually put some serious thought into what you would do if you were in an accident. It’s something that you hopefully never have to put into practice but it could be a reality all the same. The longer you drive the more likely it is that you’ll be in an accident. There’s just no way around it. So what should you do if you’re in an accident? Here we’ll lay out a checklist for the steps you should take if you’re in a car accident.  The first thing to note is that no matter the severity, never drive away. It’s illegal for you to drive away from the scene.

• Safety First

You have to take your safety seriously. If possible, both parties need to get their cars out of the road. This means pulling over and making sure that you’re out of the way as much as you can be. this is for your safety and the safety of others.

• Call The Police

If the damage is severe enough that the two drivers can’t just go their separate ways then you need to call the police. Yes even for a minor incident. The police will come and take statements and assess the evidence. Their report will be required by various insurances and can make a big difference later on if a lawsuit is filed for or against you.

• Tell Your Story

It’s extremely important that you tell the investigating officer exactly what happened. You have to tell them as best as you can remember because their report is going to matter.

• Take Pictures

Almost all of us have cameras on us now so this should be easy. Take pictures of the accident scene and anything else that you think might be relevant like the damages and any injuries you may have sustained. Pictures are excellent to have later for insurances and lawyers alike.

• Exchange Information

You’re going to be in contact with this person for a while so there’s going to be some information that has to be exchanged from the get-go. The first is that you need each other’s names and phone numbers. Second, you need their insurance information. Often the police officer will do this but if there is no officer at the accident then you’ll have to handle this for yourself. Often the reason an officer wouldn’t be present is because it wasn’t severe enough to warrant their arrival.

• Notify Your Insurance

They need to know that there was an accident because they have to get the process started in order to get the money where it’s supposed to go. If you don’t tell them then they aren’t going to get you what you deserve and the harder the whole process is going to be.

• Seek Medical Attention

If you require medical attention you need to seek it out. The sooner the better. This is for your safety but also because it’s going to make it easier to get the costs covered by your insurance.

• Keep A Record

Lastly, you need to keep a record of everything relating to the accident. This is a record of all the files and information that you’re getting from all of the parties as well as a record of what you’ve sent out. This is going to help make the whole process easier because all of the information will be in one place.