Auto accidents happen every day. Hopefully you will never be involved in one
but if you are, what you do and say after an accident could have a big impact
on who is ultimately found to be at fault. Here are a few tips and ideas to
help you better understand the process and what you should do after an auto
accident.
Call the police. I
have seen situations where people were so sure that they were at fault that
they agreed to pay for all damages, only to be shocked later that the other
party’s insurance paid for the damages instead. I have seen accidents where one person denied
even being in a wreck in the first place.
The police report is designed to protect you and to provide the
insurance adjuster with enough information to figure out which driver caused
the accident. Make it a rule to always
call the police, no matter how small the accident. The police report will provide the insurance
adjuster with the drivers names and contact information, witness information as
well as a brief summary from the officer.
If you don’t think the accident was your fault, then tell the police
officer why.
Gather the other driver’s information. Even if the other driver is in a hurry and
doesn’t want to wait for the police, make sure that before they leave you get
as much contact information about them as you can. Write down the make and model of the car and
the license plate number as well as the driver’s name and contact information. If it is you that is in a hurry, try to find
the patience to wait for the police officer.
Recently one of our clients was hit by a driver who ran a red
light. She was in a hurry and didn’t
wait around for the police officer to arrive.
She was shocked to read the police report later as it indicated that she
was the one who ran the red light.
Take as many pictures as you can. Almost everyone has a camera on their
phone. Include photos of skid marks,
debris fields as well as photos of the cars both before and after they are moved
from the scene of the accident. It is hard
to know just what might become important later so the more photos you can take,
the better.
Make your statement to both the police officer and the
insurance adjuster. Tell the officer
what happened in logical step by step order.
You will need to record a
statement later with the insurance adjuster.
When you do this, be sure to include everything you can think of, no
matter how trivial it may seem to you.
The adjuster will study your statement with the summary provided by the
police report and along with that and the other party’s statements and photos
will then decide who is at fault.
At Clinard
Insurance Group we want all of our clients to be informed consumers. If you have a claim on any of your policies,
from auto
insurance to home
insurance or even business
insurance, we will be there with you through each step of the claims
process. If you need help with any of
your insurance needs, please call us, toll free, at 877-687-7557. We look forward to serving you.
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