The First Steps after an Auto Accident

The chances of experiencing an auto accident are very high throughout your lifetime. The accident can just be a simple side swipe or a small fender bender. Either way, everyone will experience some form of an accident in the many years they are living. In the event of an auto accident, the people involved are fearful and shaken up. They might not be able to think straight. Here are a few things to keep in mind if you are ever in an auto accident.

1. Call for Help Immediately. Many people will call their parents, their spouses, children or someone that they care deeply for to let them know that they are okay. This should be the second call made. The first should always be to 911, a police station, or the sheriff’s department. From there, they will dispatch ambulances and officers to help out at the scene. Even if someone doesn’t look badly hurt, some of the damages that were done might not be visible yet.
2. Create a Safe Area. If the accident happened and is on the road, chances are there are other vehicles that will come by. If you have cones or an emergency kit in your vehicle that is accessible, grab the reflective items or triangles and place them around the vehicles involved in the accident. This can prevent oncoming drivers from adding to the damages. The reflective items will allow them to see the accident or the issue ahead of time and avoid it at all costs.
3. Exchange Information. While you are waiting for the police and ambulance to arrive, you and the other parties involved should exchange information. Personal information such as name and insurance information should always be gathered from the other driver and given to them as well.
4. Never Admit Fault. When you get into an accident, you may feel the urge to talk a lot because you have been traumatized. This should be avoided. The person to blame or at fault will be discovered through investigation and the insurance companies will be allowed access to the full report. Therefore, the knowledge that you made a mistake should not be shared with the other individual until the entire investigation is completed.
5. Record Evidence. If you have a pen and paper handy or a cell phone, be sure to write down all of the information necessary to file an insurance claim. This information would include the driver’s name, address, contact information, insurance information, type of car, license plate number, time and date of the accident, and a brief detail of your accounts of the accident. Photos are also very handy when in an accident. They can be the make it or break it for an insurance claim.