What You Should Do After an Auto Accident

It’s an unfortunate fact of life that, despite the best of intentions, accidents still happen.

What you do after an accident, though, can make a difference, especially when it comes to filing an insurance claim.

Following is a handy checklist of three things you should do following an accident:

Remain Calm and Call for Help: Even the smallest fender bender can feel like a frightening experience, so the very first step is to pull over to a safe area. Make sure you and the other driver are not in imminent danger and then call for help.

Gather Documents: While you wait for the police, take time to exchange information, including contact details, make and model of the vehicles, license plate numbers, and insurance carrier. It is also a good idea to collect the contact information of any eyewitnesses that may have seen the accident.

Just be sure to avoid placing blame or taking responsibility for the accident. In fact, it’s best to speak directly to the police officer in order to avoid unpleasant accusations or other potential problems. If possible, take photographs of the accident before the vehicles are moved.

Ask Your Agent: Once the police report is completed, it is time to contact your auto insurance agent – the sooner the better. Not only will doing so help assure a timely resolution to the claim, but your agent is often able to assist with towing, rental replacement and other urgent needs to put you back in the driver’s seat as soon as possible.