ifydcat When you’re in a car accident it’s difficult to right then and there start thinking about things you should do. Use the suggestions below to have a procedure to handle a car accident and protect your auto insurance coverage before it happens to you.
After you remove yourself from oncoming traffic and harm’s way, make sure you call police. A police report should be sought for every car accident. Even if two drivers agree there’s been no serious damage or that everything looks OK, you should get a police report because trying to establish facts later on is difficult.
Even if you were at fault you should call the police and get a police report. The reason for reporting is that in cases where you were at fault, future liability can be impacted if the other vehicle operator or passengers claim things were worse than they actually were. For instance, if you rear-ended someone who was stopped, you’re at fault but your speed, the road’s speed, damage to vehicle and whether someone was taken by ambulance to the hospital should all begin being documented right after the accident.
Don’t avoid getting a police report because it takes a lot of time. While response time can range from very quickly to less quick, the time saved in establishing the facts of your car accident is significant if you have a police report.
Don’t avoid getting a police report because your insurance rates will go up. After an accident your rates will likely go up if they are reported to the insurance company. Because you can be slapped with a lawsuit for injuries from an accident up to three years after an accident, don’t avoid getting a police report to save money hoping that the other guy won’t sue you. Think about how many advertisements you see for personal injury lawyers; many people sue after a car accident. Even when the other party indicates he or she is “fine,” get the police report.
Contact your insurance company to protect your insurance coverage. Many car insurance policies indicate that failure to notify the insurance company can compromise future claims that may arise concerning an accident.
If you’re OK, you can take pictures with your phone or camera to preserve evidence of the scene but never risk injury by getting in the way of continuing traffic.
Even if you don’t get a police report, which is a bad idea, report the accident to your insurance company to preserve your full rights under your policy, including the right to your insurance company defending you in the case of a lawsuit down the road.
Contact a family member or friend to let them know you’ve been in an accident. If someone can join you at the accident scene, it is frequently helpful because it’s a shock to be in an accident and you won’t always be thinking clearly.
Have a procedure established that you’ll follow in the event you’re in a car accident. Use the tips above to create a process to protect yourself and your car insurance coverage for problems arising from an accident.
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