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What to do After an Accident

There are millions of car accidents every year. In 2008 alone there were more than 6 million reported vehicle collisions, not to mention all the unreported incidents too.

Though no one wishes to be in a car crash, chances are you’ll experience at least one depending on how much you’re in a vehicle. So here are a few tips on what to do following a car accident:

Stay calm and breathe deeply
It’s normal to feel any number of emotions following a crash—fear, nervousness, guilt, anger or shock. Take a few deep breaths; remaining calm is crucial to help you think clearly and make the best choices.

Keep yourself and others safe
Immediately following the car collision, turn on your hazard lights and call 911. Police should be notified even if the accident is minor. Depending on your situation, it may not be safe to exit your vehicle. If there’s a risk of getting hit by another vehicle, stay in your car with your seatbelt fastened and wait for the police.

If you’re blocking traffic and you can drive your car, find a safe (and legal) place to move like a highway shoulder or a parking lot. However, some states’ laws require you to not move your car from the scene of an accident, so find out what’s legal in your state right away.

Reporting the Accident

Check on everyone involved in the crash to see if they have any injuries. Life and health are more important that damage to vehicles. When in doubt, call an ambulance. Be extremely cautious since not all injuries can be seen.

Be ready to give the dispatcher the following information:

Who? The dispatcher will ask for your name and phone numbers in case the authorities need to get more information from you later.
What? Tell the dispatcher as much as you can about the emergency such as fires, traffic hazards, medical emergency, etc.
Where? Let the dispatcher know exactly where you are including city, road names, road number, mile markings, direction of travel, traffic signs, and anything else you can think of to help them know how to find you.

Make sure you stay on the line until the dispatcher says it's OK to hang up. A police report should be filed even if there are no injuries. You may need the information in case there are problems with insurance companies and who is at fault. But in certain areas, as long as both vehicles can be safely driven away, police officers won't come to the scene unless someone is hurt. If the police do not come to the scene, make sure you file a vehicle accident report at a police station or DMV.

Notify your insurance agent of the incident as soon as possible. This will help them help you take care of problems like car rentals and repair shops.

Take Down Driver Information

It’s important to get the other driver’s information even if the police have it in their report. This will save you a lot of headache if there are any problems with insurance companies and damage liabilities. Get the other driver’s license number, phone number, address, license plate number, car make and color, insurance company, and insurance policy number. If the driver doesn't own the car involved, be sure to get owner's info as well.

Take Notes on the Accident

If you’re up to it, write down the description of the accident including date and time of the incident, direction of the cars involved, process of the incident, damage to vehicles involved, traffic signs, weather conditions, etc. Diagrams are also extremely helpful for the courts and insurance agencies know who’s at fault.

If you have a camera handy (on your phone, for example), take photos of the scene and car damage. Even if you think the accident was your fault, it may not be. That's why insurance companies say that you should not admit fault or accept blame at the scene.

The Aftermath

Car accidents themselves are upsetting (even minor ones), but dealing with the aftermath can be too. Sometimes family members and friends who are close to those involved in a car accident experience trauma, shock, sadness, anger or frustration too. These feelings are all normal. Once some time passes, the car is repaired, and the insurance companies are dealt with, most accidents become faded or insignificant memories.

Additional thoughts or experience with a car accident? Post your thoughts on the
Car Reviews Blog.

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