what to do right after an auto accident

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What to do right after an auto accident An auto accident is an event you can never prepare enough for, yet for most people, driving on the roads is one of the riskiest things they ever do in their lives. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), almost 34000 people were killed in more than 5.8 million crashes in 2009* (*estimated data). Here’s a list of what to do after an auto accident to make the situation for yourself and others around you easier. Assess the situation- Though it’s natural to panic, get angry, feel guilty or get into a state of shock right after an auto accident, try to remain as calm as possible by taking deep breaths. If your car is blocking the road, move it to a side (in some states moving a vehicle from the scene of accident might be illegal till investigations are over, so it’s good to read up your state law over this); if you or your passengers are stranded in the car, switch on your hazard lights and call 911 right away. Give medical attention’ a priority- Find out the extent of injuries to you and the other driver. Check the passengers in your car to see if anybody needs immediate medical attention. If they do, call an ambulance at once. Life and health are more important than damage to the car. Investigate damage to car/ property Alert other drivers on the road by placing orange cones or other emergency signs around the scene of the accident. Check for preliminary damage to the vehicles involved in the accident. Though there might be hidden damages which will reveal themselves over time, the initial damage will give you an idea whether a claims process from either side will be necessary or not. Do not assign blame at this stage- You might be tempted to assign fault or plead guilty right after an auto accident, but its best to keep quiet and let the police investigate the matter. If you need to speak, do so only with the police officers. There are high chances though, that police might not interfere if both the drivers are able to drive away in their own cars after the auto accident. If that happens, ensure that you go to the police station to file a vehicle incident report right after the auto accident. Record as much of the accident scene as you can take photographs, make notes, draw diagrams, record eye-witness statements and jot down the date, time and weather conditions at the time of the accident. You might need to file a claim or fight one at a later date, so your records will prove really handy to the police and your auto insurance company at the time. Exchange your name, address and license number and insurance details with the other driver- This is something that necessarily should be done right after an auto accident so that you don’t end up with a big medical/ auto-shop bill that needs to be claimed and a missing at fault party.

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Page 1: What to do right after an auto accident

What to do right after an auto accident

An auto accident is an event you can never prepare enough for, yet for most people, driving

on the roads is one of the riskiest things they ever do in their lives. According to the

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), almost 34000 people were killed in

more than 5.8 million crashes in 2009* (*estimated data).

Here’s a list of what to do after an auto accident to make the situation for yourself and

others around you easier.

Assess the situation- Though it’s natural to panic, get angry, feel guilty or get into a state

of shock right after an auto accident, try to remain as calm as possible by taking deep

breaths. If your car is blocking the road, move it to a side (in some states moving a vehicle

from the scene of accident might be illegal till investigations are over, so it’s good to read

up your state law over this); if you or your passengers are stranded in the car, switch on

your hazard lights and call 911 right away.

Give ‘medical attention’ a priority- Find out the extent of injuries to you and the other

driver. Check the passengers in your car to see if anybody needs immediate medical

attention. If they do, call an ambulance at once. Life and health are more important than

damage to the car.

Investigate damage to car/ property – Alert other drivers on the road by placing orange

cones or other emergency signs around the scene of the accident. Check for preliminary

damage to the vehicles involved in the accident. Though there might be hidden damages

which will reveal themselves over time, the initial damage will give you an idea whether a

claims process from either side will be necessary or not.

Do not assign blame at this stage- You might be tempted to assign fault or plead guilty

right after an auto accident, but its best to keep quiet and let the police investigate the

matter. If you need to speak, do so only with the police officers. There are high chances

though, that police might not interfere if both the drivers are able to drive away in their own

cars after the auto accident. If that happens, ensure that you go to the police station to file

a vehicle incident report right after the auto accident.

Record as much of the accident scene as you can – take photographs, make notes,

draw diagrams, record eye-witness statements and jot down the date, time and weather

conditions at the time of the accident. You might need to file a claim or fight one at a later

date, so your records will prove really handy to the police and your auto insurance company

at the time.

Exchange your name, address and license number and insurance details with the

other driver- This is something that necessarily should be done right after an auto accident

so that you don’t end up with a big medical/ auto-shop bill that needs to be claimed and a

missing at fault party.

Page 2: What to do right after an auto accident

Notify your insurance- Notify your auto insurance carrier right away. Remember, the

sooner you report the incident to the authorities after the auto accident, the lesser are the

chances of facts being distorted at a later date.

Use the assistance of your insurance company - Towing your vehicle away from the

scene, renting a substitute vehicle till yours gets repaired, or helping out with a list of

certified workshops that can conduct repairs to your car; use your auto insurance company

to help you out as you might be too shocked after the auto accident to work out these

things.

Start the claims process –Make sure you know what’s included in your policy and what

isn’t. Are the damages big enough to pay up your deductible and still benefit from the claim

amount? Get your own estimate of the physical damage to the vehicle, collect medical bills

and once you are satisfied you have an accurate claim figure, file a claim. Do not be in a

hurry to accept the first offer an auto insurance company makes to you after an auto

accident. If you take up one too quickly, you might end up with pending bills that need to

be settled out of pocket.

Preemptive measures- Keep your medical information, your insurance details, a first aid

kit, orange cones or other distress signals, and a long rope in the trunk of your car handy.

It’s always a good idea to keep a good auto insurance coverage on your policy. High

liability amounts, collision, uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage, all make your life

easier in case you get into an auto accident.

In the US alone there are close to six million auto accidents every year. While you might be

a great driver, it’s always a good idea to be prepared for any eventuality. There are high

chances that the suddenness of a crash might leave you feeling dazed and confused about

what to do after an auto accident so make a copy of this list and keep it in a safe place in

your car for ready reference. Hope you never need to use it though!

*Ref: http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/pubs/811291.pdf