What to do after an accident and the Steps to Follow When Making a Car Accident Claim

The majority of us do all we can to avoid being involved in a car accident, and drive diligently to achieve this aim. However, accidents do happen due to unforeseen circumstances and can be caused by any number of factors such as another reckless driver on the road, driver tiredness, bad weather conditions or a stray animal running out into the middle of the road.

If you are unfortunate enough to be involved in an accident, here are a few tips to bear in mind:

Stay calm and don’t drive off
It is important not to panic and flee the scene in a hurry as this can result in harsh penalties as well as affect your accident claim. Stay calm and in control so that you can relay the facts of the accident accurately and succinctly.

Move the car out of the way
If the car is in the way of other oncoming traffic, move it out of the way to avoid other car accidents occurring. However, if the car is too badly damaged and can’t be moved, make you sure you alert other drivers by using your hazards or placing warning beacons in the road.

Present facts but don’t admit guilt
Whether or not the accident was your fault, don’t admit this or discuss paying for damages with the other party involved, as this can be used in an accident claim against you at a later date. This conversation should be reserved only for your insurance company representative or lawyer, should it come to any legal action.

Calling the emergency services
If you were carrying passengers remember to check that they are alright and haven’t been hurt in the accident. If they require medical attention call for the emergency services straight away and explain the problem and the exact location of the incident.

It is important to do this in a calm manner but quickly as it is important to get medical attention as soon as possible without panicking the injured party. Don’t move the patient if you feel it could worsen their injuries, but if you have first aid training then do what you can to make the person more comfortable while waiting for an ambulance. (Even though it is often recommended that one does not move an injured person, Emergency First Responders have noted that often it is better to move an injured person if they could experience further injuries by not being moved.)

Call the police to report the accident straight away, whilst again remaining calm and tell them exactly where you are. They will probably advise you whether they will be sending an officer to the scene or if you need to report to the police station.

When the time comes to fill out a police report ensure that you are accurate with the details and completely honest. Include as much detail as possible as even seemingly trivial things could be important.

Making an accident claim
Having contacted the police the insurance company need to be called to advise them of the accident claim, providing precise details of the incident and damage. Some accident insurance claims may be turned down if they haven’t been made promptly, so it is a good idea to report the accident to bother the police and your insurance company as soon as possible.

Obtaining details from the other driver
It is very important to get details of the other driver’s name, address, phone number, date of birth, license numbers and insurance company name and policy number, as well as the make and model of car, license plate. Also make a note of the names, addresses and phone numbers of witnesses and the ID of any police officer attending the scene as these details maybe be crucial in accident claims.

Diagrams and photos
For claims to be successful, insurance companies usually need a diagram drawn of the accident scene with the layout of the road and the positions of the cars involved, so this should be done promptly while it is still fresh in the memory. If you have a camera or picture phone get photos of the scene including anything you may feel is helpful evidence for your accident claim such as tyre marks.

Hopefully taking these steps and measures will make a difficult situation slightly easier, but the key is to try and remain calm, ensuring the accident claim is filed as soon as possible. Recording details of the accident and everyone involved in some way will make the chances more likely of an insurance claims being approved.