What to do After You've Been in an Accident
Posted:
5 years, 10 months
ago
You Have Just Been In An Accident...Now What?
The light turns red, and at first glance, vehicles have stopped. It is your turn to clear the intersection making a left turn.....screeeeeech! The metal of the vehicle moaned and a brief moment of silence ensued. Steam rose from the hood and the oily smell of smoke hung in the air as you realize an accident just took place.
Let's face it, accidents happen. You can only do so much to avoid getting in an auto accident. Here are some tips for what to do at the scene of an accident:
- STOP immediately but do not obstruct traffic. Take a deep breath and stay calm.
- ASSIST anyone who may be injured. Have someone call 911. If you can safely do so, move the vehicles to a safe place out of traffic.
- SECURE names, phone numbers, addresses of other drivers, witnesses, injured persons in addition to making, model, license numbers of all cars involved.
- MAKE a rough drawing of the scene showing a position of cars and other details.
- DON'T accept claim settlements at the scene of an accident. Do not sign any documents unless it is for the police or your insurance agent.
- REMAIN calm, courteous and consistent in your version of the accident. DON'T tell anyone the accident was your fault, even if you think it was. STATE only the facts and limit your discussion of the accident to the police and insurance agent.
- NOTIFY your insurance agent as soon as possible.
When everything has cleared and you leave the scene of the accident, you can begin working with your insurance agent to get the claim handled quickly. This is not a good time to learn about coverage options you would've liked to have or if you were adequately insured. Be sure to connect with your agent before you have an accident and ask about coverage options like:
- Loan/Lease Gap Coverage
- Rental Reimbursement
- Waiver of Deductible
- OEM Parts
- Towing/Labor
- Accident Forgiveness
- New Car Replacement
- Pet Injury Protection
- Trip Interruption
- And More....
If you have any questions over your current coverage or are interested in learning more about a personal insurance solution to protect you, call 1-800-686-8664.
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