The roads in the US are choc-a-bloc with vehicles and accidents are almost waiting to happen. No one can say when a certain tragedy will strike them. Hence it is imperative that every motorist is adequately covered by auto insurance. But once you have auto insurance there are a few things that you need to bear in mind. It is important that you are mentally prepared about what you have to do in the event of an accident.
If you are involved in an accident, these are some of the things that you have to take care of:
- Ensure that all the passengers in your vehicle are okay and that includes yourself too. Then call 911 for medical help if necessary and the police will be there as well. Even if there are minor injuries get them attended to immediately. Don’t neglect an injury however small and insignificant it may seem. Sometimes, when you are in a state of shock you may not realize the seriousness of an injury.
- You must make sure that there is a police report as this is very essential especially when you have to file for an insurance claim. So, no matter what the situation is, you must get hold of the police report.
- Move your vehicle out of the way if you can and bring to the side of the road until the police arrive. Oncoming traffic may not notice the damaged vehicle and that could cause further problems and traffic jams. So, bring the damaged vehicle to the side in order to ensure smooth flow of traffic.
- Gather all the information that you will need such as the contact information, license plate numbers, phone numbers, auto insurance information etc. Take some pictures if you have a camera phone or a camera with you. You will need some photographic evidence from the accident site. This will be useful while filing your claim. If the weather was poor, then try to get that in your picture as well.
- Inform your insurance company as soon as the accident occurs without wasting time.
- The adjuster will then come and evaluate the damage and give an estimate of the cost of repairs etc.
- The police report will be useful in helping investigators determine what actually happened. They will also look into the damages to the other vehicle in case of a collision.
- It is important to keep all the insurance-related documents in the vehicle at all times.
