Don't Panic! 5 Smart Moves to Make Right After An Accident

Accidents can happen any time in the most unexpected of places and times, here are the top 5 steps to take when an accident happens:

1.     Stay safe!  Do not stop in the middle of the street, pull over to the side in a safe area before attempting to exchange information or speak to the other parties involved.  Do not start chasing other people down the street if they don’t stop.  Attempt to get a license plate for the vehicle or take photos the best you can but do not put yourself in danger to do so.  You may end up in a more dangerous situation, or you may cause another accident making the situation worse. 

2.     Make sure everyone is ok.  Make sure that no one needs any sort of medical treatment and if so, call 911 to get an ambulance on scene. In cases where there are injuries, police officers will also likely be dispatched to control the scene.

3.     Take photos and videos!  Take photos or video of the damage to your vehicle and all other vehicles involved from close up and far away. Ensure any photos taken are sufficiently far away that you can actually see which parts of the vehicle have been impacted and how. Take photos of the license plates of all vehicles involved if at all possible.  This will make identifying owners  much easier later and will make your claims process much easier. Take pictures of the area of the accident if you can, or the actual accident scene itself.  There are many times that this can help to show how the accident occurred.

4.     Exchange information with the other parties involved:

a.      Insurance information (policy number and insurance company)

b.     Driver’s license information

c.      Contact information (phone number, address, email if applicable)

d.     If any of the vehicles is a rental vehicle, get information for the company and branch where the vehicle was rented - don’t forget to get insurance & driver’s license information for the driver anyway, you will likely still need it!

5.     Check the damage to your vehicle and make sure your vehicle is drivable.  Make sure that there is no damage to your vehicle that would cause more damage if you start driving.  Check the wheels and tires, check your steering wheel; if there is any damage to the hood or the trunk, make sure that they can be closed and secured.  Ensure that the vehicle is safe to drive to avoid any additional problems as you go on your way.

One last tip – if you have trouble with any of the above, call 911!  You may need help with the accident and since these are often tense situations, you want to make sure that you stay safe in all situations.