According to a recent report, 15-19-year old’s accounted for 8.4% of the cost of motor vehicle injuries in the USA.
Knowing what to do if you are involved in an accident is important and understanding the rules around reporting it to your insurance company will ensure you don’t invalidate your policy. The most important things to do if you are involved in an accident are listed below.
Check Everyone is Okay
Of course, the most important thing to do is to check that everyone involved is okay. If it’s a minor collision, then make sure everyone has moved away from the road and is in a safe place that isn’t likely to cause any further problems or accidents.
It may be necessary to call the emergency services as a precaution especially if there are elderly or young children involved or if the collision happened at speed. For anything more serious call the emergency services right away and move yourself to a safe position where possible.
Assess the Damage to Your Vehicle
After any type of accident it’s vital that you check the damage done to your vehicle. If necessary, take pictures straight away so you can share them with the insurance company if you need to.
Even if the collision is minor most insurance companies and local authorities require you to file an accident report. Failure to do could invalidate your insurance.
The key thing here is assessing if any damage has been done that you can’t see that may make the vehicle unsafe to drive. Check tires, seatbelts, airbags, and lights. If you drive away and your car doesn’t feel right, stop immediately and call for roadside assistance.
It’s also useful to check sites like Accident.com as they share lots of resources relating to car accidents. You’ll be able to figure out how to file an accident report if you don’t know where to begin. It can also point you in the direction of a lawyer if the damage is so severe you want to sue for compensation.
Swap Insurance Details
If you’ve assessed the vehicle and there is damage you will need to contact the insurance company. Make sure you get all the details you need from the other party to make a claim. The vital pieces of information you will need to collect are:
- The registration plate of the other car or cars involved
- The other driver’s details, including their name and address
- The phone number of the other driver/drivers
- The car insurance details of the other driver including an insurance company, policy number and contact details for the insurance company
You should also make a note of the time, location and date the incident occurred and if you want to be thorough record exactly what happened or download the data from your dashcam. You can then begin the process of making an insurance claim.
Call a Recovery Truck
On inspection of your vehicle, you might find that it’s not in a state where you can drive it home or to the nearest garage. In this situation, you will need to call someone who specializes in Motors Recovery. They will be able to come and collect your vehicle and tow it to your local garage if you’re near home or to a recommended garage in the local area.
If you have roadside assistance, it’s worth calling them to see if they can help with roadside repairs to get you on your way until you can book your car into a garage to get it fixed properly. Check with your car insurance to see if you have this included with your policy.
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