Chances are if you drive long enough, eventually you’ll have a minor accident. A fender bender isn’t such a big deal if you have car insurance.
When you experience your first minor accident it can be very stressful. You need to be careful not to say or do the wrong thing, because this can screw up your case for auto insurance. You also need to be careful to get all of the information you will need to file a claim. It’s best to learn what to do before an accident happens.
The first thing to remember is to move the vehicles off of the road, so long as no one is injured. This is especially important if the accident happened at a busy intersection.
You really can’t just leave your cars in the intersection. If you do, then cars trying to get around you can have problems and you can actually cause more accidents to happen. Before you move your cars, turn on your hazard lights so that other cars know something is wrong and don’t expect that you’ll be able to travel at the normal rate of speed.
Be sure to call the police next. Now, the police may or may not come to the scene – in some areas, unless there are injuries police are not dispatched. Still, you do need to call the accident in. Ideally you will get a police accident report, because this will make it much easier to deal with insurance companies.
Here is the most vital step to remember: you must exchange information with the other driver. Each of you needs the other party’s name, phone number, insurance carrier, policy number driver’s license number, and license plate number. It is also a good idea to get some details on the other vehicle, such as make, model, year and color.
No matter what you do, do not admit fault or apologize to the other driver. It is not up to you to determine who was at fault, even if you suspect it was you. The police will determine who caused the accident.
If you have a camera on you, or if your car has a camera, take pictures of both cars. You want shots of damage, and also shots of the cars’ position in relation to each other if you can get that. Then once you leave the scene, contact your insurance agent right away to report the accident.
The author also regularly blogs on products including best cat toys and catnip toys.
categories: autos,cars,vehicles,accidents,insurance,tips,advice,trucks,travel,driving,self help,coaching,society,men