Since most of us just aren’t frequently involved in auto
accidents, if this happens to you then you might find yourself pretty
flustered. If you know what to do ahead
of time, perhaps it may help you navigate those first few minutes after the
collision. So, here are the broad
categories of things you should do if you find yourself in an auto accident.
At the top of the list of course is that you should call the
police. But read on, as there are a few
caveats. If the accident was your fault, and there are only minor property
damages; no one has been injured, and
you think you will want to pay for the damages yourself, then not calling the
police might work out in your favor. NC
insurance rules dictate that you will be charged insurance points for accidents
that are your fault. Now if the accident
only created property damage and the total damage is under $1800 and you have
no other tickets or insurance points on your record, then you will not be
charged for this accident. In those
cases, by all means, call the police right away. But, if all of those conditions are not true
and you want to avoid the insurance points, then avoiding a police report
increases your odds of avoiding the insurance points. The insurance company will only know about
the accident if you file the claim or if the accident shows up on your motor
vehicle record. Calling the police means
that your record will indicate you were involved in an accident.
The next step to cover is avoiding additional damages and
risks to you. Move your car away from
the roadway to avoid additional accidents.
Stay safely away from the street or highway while you are out of your
vehicle.
Step 3 is to get the
correct information about the other driver.
Of course this becomes even more important if you don’t think the
accident is your fault. Be sure to
obtain the other driver’s name, his or her driver’s license number, phone
number and insurance information and license tag number. In addition, be sure to verify the name of
the owner of the other vehicle. So often
we find that the driver is not the registered owner of a vehicle after an
accident. Knowing the owner’s name is
going to speed up the process of filing a claim against his or her insurance
policy.
Now you need to fully document the event. Take as many photos as possible document the
damages to each car as well as the accident site. If you use the video camera
on your phone, then you can make comments as you go that may be helpful to the
investigation. Find and interview any witnesses and be sure
to get their full names and contact numbers so that you can reach them later if
needed. The more information you can
obtain, the better. Clinard Insurance
Group customers can request a vehicle claim kit, complete with a camera and
other tools to help you in an accident. Click
here to learn more about this kit.
Last of all, file an
accident report. If you are not at
fault, then call the other party’s insurance agent and file a claim with them
for your damages. You should expect the
insurance company to contact you and perhaps ask you to provide a recorded
statement of what happened.
Clinard Insurance Group is an independent insurance agency
located in beautiful Winston Salem, NC.
We service thousands of NC
auto insurance policies for clients all across NC. We can also help you with your home
insurance and your life
insurance needs. Give us a call,
toll free, at 877-687-7557 or visit us on the web at www.ClinardInsurance.com.
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