After an accident, your initial feeling might be shock or worry. What should you do? In every situation, the first step is to contact the police and rescue team if there are any injuries. The police will work with you to ensure the situation is safe and to help you to gather the necessary information to move forward. It is important to take specific steps in this process to ensure you file the right auto insurance claim with the necessary information. Take a deep breath and keep the following in mind.
What to Say to the Other Driver
If you've been in an accident, you will want to move to an area of safety and talk to the other driver after you've called the police. If you do not feel safe, remain in your car. You'll need to gather information from the other driver no matter who is at fault or what happened. Asking for car insurance information is important, but you also need their name, address, license plate number and any other information about their vehicle or scene of the accident. Do not admit that you were at fault or did anything wrong to cause the accident; that’s for the police and insurers to decide.
Take Photos
If you have a phone with a camera, use it. Take photos of everything including the location of the accident, damage to your car, damage to the other car and damage to the property in the area. This information is used by your insurance agent to determine what happened.
File a Police Report
Generally, you will file a police report at the scene or at the local police department. In most situations, the police officer on the scene will determine who is at fault. If you are said to be at fault and do not believe that to be accurate, talk to your auto insurance agent. They can help to refute such claims.
Call Your Agent
As soon as possible, contact your auto insurance agent. He or she will be able to help you to file a claim for the damage you've had and help you to handle any concerns in the process.
With the help of your car insurance agent and the local police, getting past the current situation may be easier than you think. The key is to keep calm and to ensure you've gathered as much information as possible throughout the process.
Need to file a claim? Call The Peterson Agency at 336-227-0154 for more information on Burlington auto insurance.