After having two different auto accidents in our family that happened within a week of one another, we learned that there are so many questions that people have about what they need to do in the case of an accident and what information to gather in the case of an accident. Below are some helpful tips to help you in the case of an accident.
What information do you need to get...
- Be sure to get names of all parties involved. Make note of any passengers in the other vehicle.
- It's important to get the phone number of all parties involved.
- Make note of the year, make, model of all other vehicle(s) involved.
- Make note of the area you are in and what is around. It's important to take note of what lead to the accident and any details of the accident **WRITE IT DOWN**so you don’t forget later.
What Pictures do you need to take...
- If you can, take a picture of the Driver’s License and Insurance ID card (or at least take down the info) of all other parties involved in the accident.
- Be sure to get pictures of the accident site and any damage to yours AND the other parties vehicle.
When do you need to call the Police...
- It is a good idea to call the police regardless of what the other person says. Depending on the amount of damages and where it occurred there may or may not be an official police report.
- If the Police are called it is important to get the Police report number.
When do you need to contact you Insurance agent...
- If it is your fault then file the claim with your insurance company -that information should be on the insurance card- If you don’t know, call your agent.
- If it is the fault of the other party then file the claim with their insurance - that information should be on the insurance card.
- When filing the claim they will need to know information on all the vehicles of the accident, location, information on the other party (they need to get ahold of them to get a statement etc.), any injuries and a brief description of what happened and where it happened. From there, an adjuster will be assigned and they will take things further and make all the decisions.
- It is up to the insurance claims adjusters to determine fault, so if there is any issue with who is at-fault it may be best to file with your insurance company and let the two companies sort it out.
- You can let your agent know what’s going on, but understand that we will direct you to file the claim since you have all the details and it is best they hear it all first hand.