A car accident is scary, whether it is serious or not.
General Information
Getting into an accident can be as minor as a “fender bender” or as severe as totaling your car, and/or causing injury to yourself or others. Regardless of how serious the accident, follow these important steps immediately after, because not doing so may result in legal trouble:
- Stay at the accident scene; leaving the scene of an accident is a crime
- Move your vehicle out of traffic to a safer location, if you can safely
- Take a deep breath, stay calm
- Turn off your engine
- Turn on your vehicle's hazard lights
- Call 911
After an Accident, make sure that you and any other parties involved are okay if it’s safe to do so. When police arrive they will help anyone who is hurt and complete a police report about the accident. You need to exchange the following information with the other driver: your names, insurance companies, insurance policy numbers, phone numbers, and the make and model the vehicles involved. The back of your insurance card should also have instructions on what to do after an accident. Be sure not to admit fault, even if you think you were at fault.
Collect the names, phone numbers, addresses and/or email addresses of any people who witnessed the accident. Take photos of the vehicles involved in the collision. Get the following information from all emergency service personnel involved: the police/fire department and their phone numbers, the police officer(s) name and badge number, the ID number of the police report, and other emergency workers.
To File an Insurance Claim contact your insurance company right away to report the incident and how they can access the police report. They will let you know what, if any, paperwork you need to complete for your claim. If your car cannot be driven, ask the insurance company about towing services. Before your insurance company pays any money for car repairs or medical injuries, you will have to pay a deductible (money you pay out of pocket). You determine your deductible when you sign up for car insurance.
The Cause of an Accident will be determined by the police report. The person who is responsible for the accident and their insurance company must pay for damages to the vehicles and any medical costs. Sometimes receiving money from the insurance company can take some time. You may have to cover any costs upfront and be reimbursed later. It is likely the cost of your insurance policy will increase regardless of who was at fault. Check with your insurance company about how accidents can affect your policy.
Resources
To learn how to file an insurance claim and about your rights as a policy-holder from United Policy Holders visit www.uphelp.org and type "car accident claim tips" into the search bar.