When you’re in a car accident, there are quite a few things you have to take care of. If you’ve never gotten into an accident before, it can be an extremely overwhelming and scary time. Before you find yourself in this situation, here’s what you need to know about handling the aftermath of a car accident.
Handle The Site Of The Accident
There are a few very important things you need to do right after getting an accident. If your cars are blocking traffic and could cause another accident, move them off to the side of the road, if possible. Then you’ll need to make sure no one in your car or the other cars involved has been injured. Call the police and an ambulance, if needed. Even though you should check for injuries, try not to discuss the accident with the other person, as you don’t want to admit liability. Start collecting the information you’ll need about the accident: what happened (including location, date, and time) and the other driver’s name and insurance and vehicle information. These facts will be very important for your insurance and for the car accident form you need to file at the DMV or police station. Once the police arrive, they can help you handle any details you may have forgotten, and you can then call your insurance company or a tow truck company to have your car moved. After you find out the name of the other driver, you may want to find mugshots on GoLookUp and see if he or she is there. This information could help you proceed if you need to take legal action against him or her for causing the accident or causing you serious harm.
Work With Your Car Insurance Company
After you’ve handled the scene of the accident, you’ll need to contact your insurance company. If possible, call them from the scene of the accident and let them know what has occurred. You can then file a claim on the phone or online and start the process. Your insurance company will assign someone to your case, and that person will most likely come to inspect the damage done to the vehicle. Depending on the details of the accident, your car insurance may pay for the damages or declare that your car is a loss and pay you for the final value. You might end up filing a claim against the person who damaged your car, in which case his or her insurance could end up paying you. Your insurance company can advise you how to proceed, or you may want to involve a car accident injury attorney if you’ve been seriously hurt by the accident.
Evaluate Your Current Insurance Policies
After an accident, you may want to reevaluate your current insurance. Your car insurance could go up significantly after an accident if your policy doesn’t include accident forgiveness, so it could be in your best interest to look around for a new policy. You might also find during this time that your current policy didn’t cover everything you thought it did. Maybe you were required to pay for the tow truck or the rental car while your vehicle was being fixed. Look for a new policy that will give you everything you need in the event of another accident. If you’re paying for insurance, you want it to help you in times of need. Your car insurance and your health insurance should cover everything you might need after an accident.
Don’t panic if you find yourself in a car accident. Stay calm and remember to obtain as much information as possible. Then work with your insurance company and a lawyer, if needed. This is a challenging time, but you will get through it.
