What To Do If You Have A Car Accident

Many drivers will be involved in a car accident at some point in their driving careers. However the reality is that many people think it will never happen to them. However a little preparation can prepare you for the unexpected and make the experience less traumatic. We have distilled our experience in dealing with insurance claims resulting from car accidents into three main tips.

Tip Number 1 STOP!. It is an offence not to stop at the scene of an accident if your vehicle has caused damage to a person, another vehicle or property

Tip Number 2..SAFETY Ensure the scene of the accident is safe for yourself and other road users. Switch off the car, turn on your hazard lights, put on a high visibility vest if you have one and put the warning triangle on the road. If the emergency services are required for example if someone is hurt or the other party has left the scene of the accident, ring 999 or (112 in Northern Ireland)  from you mobile. You  can dial 999 from your mobile even when you are out of credit and this will allow a free call to the emergency services.

Tip No 3  DETAILS

Carry a notebook and pen in your car or your handbag. Use this to take down as many details as possible i.e. location of the accident, time and date, note the other drivers name, address, telephone number, make and registration of car, even draw a sketch of the scene of the accident if you can. Most mobile phones these days have a camera so use this to take photos of the damage caused, bumps scratches etc. All this information will come in very useful when it comes down to your insurance company settling the claim.

You should always tell your insurance company of any collision you are involved in however minor, regardless of whether a claim will be made or whose was at fault. Give your insurance company all the details you took at the scene of the accident. They will do all the work for you and deal with everything on your behalf, at the end of the day that’s why you pay for insurance.