Getting into a car accident can be an emotionally jarring experience for many. Immediately after a collision, a driver might struggle to process their recent experience. Responding in a calm and collected manner can often be difficult. As a part of Robbin Insurance Group’s commitment to serving and protecting our clients, we wanted to create a blog post that clearly outlines for our readers what to do in the event of an accident. 

1.   GET TO SAFETY

Before anything else, make sure that you and your passengers are safe. Try to preserve the scene of the accident as much as possible, but if the damaged vehicles are blocking traffic, the driver should pull off to the side and immediately turn on their hazards. After this, if it is safe, the driver should check to see if the passengers of the other vehicle are safe and uninjured. 

2.   CALL 911

Even if you’ve only gotten into a minor accident, calling a police officer is still a good idea. After arriving, the police will do two main things. First, they can help secure the area of the accident and therefore help keep the drivers and their passengers safe from incoming traffic. Second, the police will file an accident report — this report is always helpful (and sometimes required) for filing an insurance claim after an accident.

3.   COLLECT INFORMATION

After confirming that everyone is safe and calling 911, exchange information with the other driver. This information should include: 

–       The other driver’s full name and phone number

–       Their insurance company and policy number

–       Their driver’s license number and their license plate number

–       The type, color, and model of their vehicle 

Alongside this, you should also collect information about the wreck. In order to do this, you should: 

–       Take pictures of the crash

–       Document the location of the crash

–       Consult any witnesses

–       Identify the officers and request a copy of the accident report

All of this information will be helpful when filing an insurance claim. 

 

4.   FILE AN INSURANCE CLAIM

As soon as possible, call your insurance agent and inform them of the accident. Having collected and organized all of the information gathered in Step 3, the driver should then give all of the relevant details to their agent and begin asking questions about their insurance plan. To learn more about the auto insurance plans (and other plans) offered by each of our carriers, click here.

5.   REPAIR CAR 

After filing an insurance claim and determining the financial burden resulting from the accident, you should work toward repairing your car. You can talk to your insurance agent about how much of the expenses will be covered by your insurance plan.

6.   KEEP DOCUMENTS AND INFORMATION ORGANIZED

Finally, after everything has been resolved and all the necessary information has been collected, you should neatly organize all of the information about the accident and place it in a spot that is easy to remember. This way, if a lawsuit is eventually raised or the information becomes relevant years later, the driver will still have quick access to all the necessary information about the accident. 

 

Here at Robbins Insurance Group, we are passionate about equipping and serving our clients. Contact us today to learn more!