What to do When You Get in an Accident View of a BMW with a Crumpled Hood From an Accident

What to do When You Get in an Accident

Driving is inherently dangerous; we attend driving school to make it as safe as possible. However, accidents happen, some big and some not so big. Either way, it is important to know what to do when you get in an accident. Things may move fast, but these driving tips can help.

Knowing what to do when you get in an accident can help ensure you are taken care of afterward, starting with staying at the scene.

What to do When You Get in an Accident

Knowing what to do when you get in an accident can help ensure you are taken care of afterward, starting with staying at the scene. Car accidents can be scary, but knowing what to do will take some of the stress out of the situation. Teen drivers are more likely to get in a car accident.

In fact, it is believed that there are over half a million accidents per year if you include minor incidents. Those most at risk are new drivers and teen drivers. Varsity Driving Academy aims to lower that number with defensive driver instruction.

Still, we should all know what to do if we get in a car accident. Everything starts at the scene, so it is important to remain at the scene until these things are complete.

What to do When You Get in an Accident View of Cars in a Traffic Jam in the Reflection of a Side View Mirror

Check for Injuries

The first thing you need to do is make sure you are not injured. Call 911 if there is any injury, and if you can’t, ask someone else to do it. You also must remain still if the injury is significant and wait for emergency services to arrive. Check on any of your passengers if you are able to do so.

Keep in mind that some injuries may not show themselves at first. So be sure to pay attention to any minor aches and pains that weren’t there before the accident. Move to a safe place, away from traffic, if you are not too injured to do so.

You may even be able to pull the car over to a safe spot as well if it is safe to drive. Turn on your hazard lights and use road flares if you can’t move your car.

What to do When You Get in an Accident View From the Backseat of a Car of a Person in the Driver Seat

Call 911 Immediately

Knowing what to do when you get in an accident can help make the insurance claim process easier. One of the most important things to do is to call 911. In fact, you should call 911 even if there is no injury or if the accident is minor.

This is how you get a third-party report of the scene. Some states even legally require you to call the police in the event of an accident to document the scene. Car insurance companies will also request that document.

What to do When You Get in an Accident a Tree Fallen onto the Hood of a Car

Exchange Information

Insurance companies are meant to handle all of the paperwork and payouts to help get you back to a good place after an accident. However, they need as much information as you can provide. They even need the information of the other person involved in the accident.

It is important to exchange information. Here are some of the things insurance will ask for from both parties involved in the accident: 

  • Full Name
  • Contact Info
  • Driver’s License Number
  • License Plate Number
  • Make, Model, and Color of the Other Car
  • Location of Accident
What to do When You Get in an Accident View of a Sunset From a Moving Car on a Freeway

Document the Scene

Knowing what to do when you get in an accident will help you deal with insurance. In fact, basically, everything you need to do is to prepare for filing a claim with your insurance. This means we need to document the scene. Write down all of the information from the other driver and the location.

Then, document the names of the officers and their badge numbers. You should also ask where you can obtain a copy of the police report. You should also take pictures of any damage to your car and the other car involved in the accident.

Lastly, seek out any witnesses that may be standing around nearby. Get their contact info in case insurance needs any witness statements. 

When you get in an accident there are a few things that must be done first to keep you immediately safe and safe after everything has settled down.

File a Claim and Notify the DMV

The last step of the process is where all the hard work pays off. You need to call your insurance company as soon as possible to file a claim. They will ask for all of the information you gathered and walk you through the process of filing a claim.

They will assign you an adjuster who will do all of the leg work for you from here. Then, you need to notify the DMV. Some states don’t require this, and others do. It is best to call the DMV in the state of the accident and ask them how to report an accident in that state. Now, you know what to do when you get in an accident.