After running into a car accident the first thing you think of is what do I do now? In order to avoid any unforeseen circumstances in the future it is vital to act responsibly and follow the right course of action.
Always Stop:
One must always stop after a car accident. You need not accept your mistake since the insurance company states so. Hence stop and just wait patiently for your insurance company to handle the situation.
Determine the Extent of Injuries:
Try checking whether or not any of the parties involved in the accident have gotten severely injured. You need to see whether or not they require urgent assistance. If not, simply wait for the police to come and do not handle anything on your own.
Contact the Police:
Contact the police as soon as possible so that they can come and take over the situation. During this time wait patiently if you can. Do not indulge in any conversation about the accident with the other party involved; only speak about it with the police and your insurance company.
Contact Your Insurance Company:
It is best to call your insurance company right from the scene of the accident. Often you can forget details or snippets due to stress and hence police officials can narrate the incident to them better.
Leave the Talking for Your Insurance Provider:
Again, do not involve yourself in the talking. This is extremely important as your words can be used against you and also because the insurance contract does not allow you to speak about the accident. Hence, let them do their job and allow them to speak on your behalf.
Collect the Facts of the Accident:
This is one of the most important things that need to be done. One must have all the facts. These facts entail name, address, and license plate number along with a description of the car. You must also take details of their insurance company as well as the vehicle identification number of the car as insurance companies only have certain information. People often forget this due to stress but there is a list of things that will help you collect the information.
Firstly it is extremely important to know what happened. Secondly, you need apt information about the driver and thirdly, need the information for insurance.
How to file a car accident claim?
After the accident, your insurance company agent will guide you through the process of filing a claim. The only thing you need to ensure is to remember all the details and facts of the accident and not do any talking even if the other party suggests you handle it on your own. The rest of the process is to be carried out by your insurance company. Always remember at the scene of the accident that you do not know anything about the opposing part. You don’t know them or their insurance details and hence must stick to what happened and only focus on saving and protecting your own self and claiming your money.