What to do if You are Involved in a Car Accident

Of course, if the car accident involves serious injury, you may be able to do nothing. You just allow the paramedics to take over. However, if you and others are reasonably uninjured, the first step - always - is to notify the police. you should not move your vehicle. Moving it can not only be dangerous, but ruin your insurance claim. If you have triangle signs, lights, or flares, it’s a good idea to use them, in order to warn other drivers. If you do not have these, raising the trunk and hood and putting on your vehicle flashers is essential. You should, of course, get out of the road or you might cause other vehicles to be involved in your car accident.

Arguing with the other driver, if there was one, is a bad idea. Both parties are bound to claim they were right. It is best to simply stay calm and engage in a minimum of discussion until the police arrive. Simply try to find witnesses or ask if someone who was present will be a witness of your car accident.

If you have a cell phone, it might be a good time to call your insurance agent and report the car accident. Your respective insurers may dispute who was at fault, delaying your claim. The first person to get advice, or give information to their insurer, will help them resolve the dispute with the opposing company more quickly. Barring injury, some of the worst results of an accident can be insurance problems, so getting witnesses, information, a good police report, will keep your car accident a problem, rather than a major disaster.

Regarding the police report, be calm and respectful when talking to officers. Shouting and blaming the other driver, or being a Nervous Nelly, will not be helpful. Give all the information you can, as truthfully and clearly as possible. You can rehearse this in your mind while waiting for the police - it’s much better than arguing with the other driver. Policemen are human - if you make their job pleasant and simple, it may reflect in the car accident report. There is always a “slop factor” in any official report, and it’s best if it goes in your direction. Let the other person bluster and yell if they want to. Everyone respects someone who keeps their head in an emergency.

If you can walk away from a car accident, count your blessings. If you can walk away, knowing you got the facts down as clearly and as much in your favor as possible, you gave yourself a blessing.