Friday, October 7, 2011

NC Auto Insurance Advice – 5 Things To Do If You Have An Accident


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.  

No comments: