How To Make A Car Accident Claim – If you’ve been in a car accident, you’re not alone—hundreds of car accidents happen in the United States every year. Being involved in even a minor accident can be an overwhelmingly scary experience, but you can gain some peace of mind by understanding what to do when you’re in an accident. The last thing you want after an accident is to struggle to figure out what to do next.
While we hope you are never involved in an accident, we understand that car accidents are common, and we want to help you prepare with this step-by-step guide. We’ll also cover what not to do, what to expect after filing a claim, and how to avoid future accidents.
How To Make A Car Accident Claim
If a car accident occurs, knowing what steps to take in advance can help you stay calm, change and make a successful claim on your car insurance. Here are the steps you should follow after a car accident.
Car Accident And Insurance Claim
One of the first steps to take after an accident is to check for injuries. After an accident, your first and foremost priority is safety. First check if you have any injuries, then make sure your passengers are visible. Even if the accident is minor, injuries can still occur, so stay calm and check all participants for injuries. If you are seriously injured, try to get help before moving.
Then, get yourself and your car off the road to a safe place. If you can, pull over to the shoulder so that your vehicle is not in the way of oncoming traffic. Turn on your hazard lights to make sure other drivers can see you. If you cannot move your vehicle due to severe injuries or damage, take yourself and your passengers to a safe place off the road, but stay at the scene of the accident.
If you have emergency equipment that includes triangles or flares, use them to stabilize and direct traffic around the scene of the accident. Even if you think you are not injured, be careful when you move, especially if the accident happened on a busy street or highway, because that place can put you in another danger.
Once you’ve made sure everyone involved in the accident is safely away and your vehicle is off the road, you can assess the damage to the vehicle. Take pictures to document the damage to each vehicle. If the vehicles are not moved, be sure to take pictures of their position. If you can’t take a picture, you may want to draw a diagram of how the accident happened while it’s still fresh in your mind.
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Then you should contact the police to report the accident and get an accident report. While you may not need to call the police if the accident is minor and there are no injuries or property damage, you should always call the police in the event of a serious accident. You can still report a minor accident, even though the police may not come to the scene. Some police departments use online reports for minor incidents, rather than dedicating resources to the scene.
When you report a serious accident, the police will write an accident report that you can later request when applying for car insurance. If the police do not come to the scene, request a copy of the accident report from the insurance adjuster handling your claim or from the police department.
In addition, any injured person should receive medical attention. Paramedics can come after your call to report an accident and provide emergency medical care.
Be sure to share important information with the other driver. The laws governing what information you need to share vary from state to state. At the very least, you should change your names and insurance information. Additionally, you may want to request more helpful information from the other driver, witnesses, and law enforcement, such as:
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Take photos of documents, such as driver’s license numbers. You can use pen and paper for notes if you don’t have a camera phone. If you see that the name of the driver and the name on the insurance documents or vehicle registration do not match, find out the relationship of that person to the owner of the vehicle. Remember, you don’t have to share your insurance limit or Social Security number.
If you have a smartphone, record the location of the accident as much as possible. Take photos and videos and record audio clips to capture every detail. Be sure to document the impact of the vehicle, for example by taking photos of the entire vehicle and close-up photos of the wreckage. Take pictures and videos of the entire area, including property damage and ice marks.
Note the direction the vehicles were traveling before and during the accident, along with street names. Be sure to record the time and date of the accident. You also want to record the vehicle’s position in relation to the road. This information will help the insurance adjuster recreate the accident after you file a claim. With voice recording, you can tell exactly what happened while the accident and details are up to date, including video and weather information. You can also draw a diagram of the accident scene.
Regardless of who or what you believe is responsible for the accident, avoid discussing responsibility for the accident with the other driver. For example, if you are rear-ended and the other driver claims that the wet road prevented him from braking in time, avoid arguments and accusations of careless driving. Everyone’s emotions can run high after an accident, so try to stay calm and trust your instincts. If you think the driver is aggressive or impaired, stay in your car and contact the police to resolve the situation.
What To Do After A Car Accident
You may need to contact a towing company if your vehicle has sustained extensive damage. Your car may need repairs before it’s safe to drive again, so if you have roadside assistance from your insurance or motorcycle club membership, be sure to call. Some car manufacturers may also offer driver assistance programs. In some cases, the police may call a towing company. When the vehicle shows up, check its ID and make a note of all contact information to make sure it’s reputable.
Even if the other driver tries to negotiate for cash, you should notify your car insurance company of the accident to avoid liability for damages. For example, let’s say your insurance company has determined that your car is a total loss and the other driver has little or no insurance. In this case, you will need to rely on your insurance provider for coverage, especially if you have personal injury protection (PIP) or auto medical insurance.
If you are not sure how best to proceed, you can contact your insurance professional. They can help you understand your options. For example, if you are found not to be at fault in the accident, your insurer may offer you a waiver of liability to skip paying your deductible.
Some insurance companies offer automated tools such as mobile phone apps that you can use to start the claims process. You can call your insurance company’s toll-free number to get instructions or review your insurance card statement. Your insurer may ask you for more information about the accident and may ask you to use a remote monitoring device on your phone.
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In addition to recording the details of the accident, the insurance company can arrange a rental car, send a tow truck or provide other roadside assistance through this app. When you report an accident, contact your insurer and process the relevant documents while working with your insurance adjuster during the claims process.
Even if you don’t believe you are injured, injuries may only become apparent after a while. Both major and minor accidents can cause serious injuries to the spine or head, so be sure to see your doctor if you experience any unusual symptoms or pain. Usually, car accident injuries are covered by your claim, so you must document any physical injuries you sustained in the accident. A doctor’s visit and medical report can help you verify your claim.
If you are prepared and proactive, you can easily calm down after an accident and manage the situation smoothly. Download your insurance forms or an app that can guide you through the car insurance application process. Keep proof of insurance card, registration and a list of things you should remember at the scene of the accident in a designated area of your car. By having a checklist in hand, you can successfully manage the process.
Now that you know what to do after a car accident, you may also want to know what not to do. Here are some things you should not do after a car accident:
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Car insurance protects you financially in case of an accident, so when an accident occurs, file a claim with your car insurance.
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