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Last July, I discussed what actions you should take after a household accident occurs. You do keep your back copies, don't you?
If not, go to vbmonline.com. This time I will give some helpful tips on what to do if you are involved in an auto accident.
First of all, believe that it can happen to you. Each year, more than 21 million motor vehicle accidents occur on our nation's roadways, according to the National Safety Council. Therefore, the odds of being in at least one accident in your lifetime are extremely high.
The obvious, yet not always practiced, first step is to stop. Do not leave the scene. However, if it is safe to do so, you should remove your vehicle from the right of way. It only increases your risk of a pile up to leave your car sitting in an intersection or on a busy roadway after experiencing a bumper tap. A congested roadway may even inhibit rescue vehicles from getting to the scene. By all means, get out of harm's way. Standing in the roadway next to your car with your car
door open is just asking for a second hit.
Warn other motorists by turning on your vehicle's flashers and setting up flares or other reflective devices starting 50 feet behind your vehicle.
Call the police immediately to report any accident, no matter how small, which results in personal injury or vehicle damage. Notify the police as to any medical assistance that may be needed or any vehicle that is not drivable. The police do not necessarily issue traffic citations for accidents, but they will complete a report for accidents occurring on public roads. It may be sufficient, however, for you to just exchange information if it was a "fender bender" on a
private parking lot.
Do not accept responsibility or otherwise discuss the accident with anyone except police authorities and your insurance representative. Do not accept any monetary settlement at the accident scene.
You should remain calm and courteous. Anger never helps a situation and all parties involved are equally anxious and inconvenienced to be sure.
While not accepting or discussing liability with the other parties, you should, howeve,r exchange some basic information. Write down the driver's license number, license plate number and state. You might also ask if the driver is the owner of the vehicle he is driving. Get the insurance company name and policy number, plus make, model, year and description of vehicle. Lastly, record the name address and telephone numbers of the driver.
Write down the name and address of all passengers, injured persons or anyone with property damage. Get the names and contact information from at least two witnesses if possible. This is very important when the fault of an accident is questionable.
Some additional notes, which might help your insurance company in investigating the claim, include the following: Note the time of day, weather and condition of the roadway. Diagram the accident before you leave the scene. Show the position of all vehicles before and after the accident - plus location of signs, streets and medians. Note any apparent damage to all vehicles involved in the accident. Write down any other details you feel are important.
These facts should then be given to your insurance agent, or call your insurance company's 24-hour claim number. If you do not obtain them at the scene, it could be a couple days or even a week before they become available in an accident report provided by the police department. This would prolong your claim with the insurance company.
Russell Janecka is a Certified Insurance Counselor. He is the owner of Janecka Insurance Agency in Victoria, and serves on the board of directors with Germania Insurance Companies. (361) 573-4475 e-mail: info@jiavic.com
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