Car accidents can be very stressful, let Best Insurance help you connect with your insurance company. Read the tips below to learn what you should do if you’re involved in a car accident.
Stay calm and Breathe
Keeping a normal demeanor helps you stay in control of the situation. We know accidents are very stressful on all who are involved. Keeping a level head and staying calm will help ease the pain of being in the accident and will help set the tone for the other passengers and drivers involved.
Take Pictures.
Before anyone moves from the accident make sure you get pictures from the accident. The more detailed the better. Take photos of the damage done to both vehicles as well as the directions you were facing. We recommend taking pictures of the other vehicles license plate and the driver’s information.
Make sure you and your passengers are OK.
Move as far off the roadway as possible but stay at the scene of the accident. Warn oncoming traffic by activating your hazard warning lights and/or setting flares. Be sure you communicate with the other drivers as to where you are moving your vehicle too. You will also need to stay aware of where they are moving to. The number of hit and run accidents have been steadily increasing.
Call the police.
Call 911 or the appropriate emergency number to report the accident. Stay on the line with the dispatcher and follow all the instructions given until an officer arrives on scene. This will allow the officer to get to you and your passenger in the quickest amount of time. The fire department is typically the first responders in accidents. They are there to help assist in the accident for any injuries and direct the flow of traffic. Be sure you let them do their job to further assist you.
Contact Their Insurance Company.
Before leaving the scene, we recommend calling the other drivers insurance company to verify that their policy is active. This will help insure you do not receive false information.
Contact your insurance company and report the claim.
The sooner your insurance company knows about the accident, the sooner they can start working to resolve your claim.
Do not admit fault.
Do not discuss the car accident with anyone other than the police and your claims representative. If your accident goes to court or the other driver states it was your fault it will help dispute any false claims if you keep your information directed at the appropriate people.
Exchange vital information with the other driver involved in the car accident.
Write down the name, address, phone number and license numbers for all drivers and witnesses, particularly those who were not riding in a vehicle involved in the accident. Ask for the insurance companies and policy numbers for drivers involved in the car accident.
How to report a vehicle insurance claim:
- As soon as possible, report your claim to your insurance provider. Best Insurance will give you a security verification. This verification will have the insurance providers information on it. If you have misplaced it give Best Insurance a call we will be happy to help you. Your insurance provider will ask you some initial questions and begin resolving your claim immediately.
- A claims representative from your insurance provider will contact you—generally by the end of the business day—to answer your questions and schedule an inspection of your vehicle. Be sure to discuss any questions you have about deductibles, what’s covered or the repairs with your claims rep at this time.
- Your insurance provider will inspect your vehicle’s damage and provide an estimate for repairs.
- Your insurance provider can help you arrange vehicle repair service and towing if you need it. You can bring your car to a repair shop in your insurance providers network or if you prefer to use your own repair shop, you can do that, too. With either option, we’ll schedule your appointment when you report your claim.
- If you need a rental car, your claims representative can make arrangements for one. Your rental may be covered depending on your policy coverages and the circumstances of your claim. Check with your agent from Best insurance to add rental car coverage to your policy when you start the policy. This will not be able to be added once you’re going through the claims process.
- Your insurance provider periodically check the status of the repair and address any further issues, such as additional damage, payments for additional damage, or changes to the expected completion date, while your vehicle is in the shop.
Your insurance provider should settle your claim quickly, fairly and accurately so you can move on with your life.