You’ve been driving for decades, and think you know what to do if you get into an accident. Let’s see.
What’s the first thing you do when you ram into someone’s bumper?
A. Call 911 and report the accident.
B. Call your insurance agent and report a claim.
C. Move the car out of traffic.
D. None of the above.
If you answered D, then you know the first thing you do after a car accident is check if anyone is injured, says Mike Rock, a 24-year insurance professional and president of the Michael C. Rock Agency in Williamsburg.
“Unlike what many of my clients think, I’m not the first call,” says Rock. “People are concerned about their insurance rates going up. But that’s not the first thing they should check.”
In fact, the health and safety of passengers should be the first concern. But, “The general public isn’t in an accident every day,” Rock says. “We know what to do, because I talk to people about accidents often. But you may not have ever had an accident. It’s easy to forget what to do first, especially if it’s a minor fender bender.”
Here are some stats to chew on. According to information provided by CarInsurance.com, you’ll have 3-4 accidents over your driving lifetime.
When you have a car accident, it’s important to do the right things at the right time, which might save someone’s life and limb, but also will speed up the claims process and get your car back on the road sooner.
In the order of priority, here’s what you should do if you’re in a car accident.
1. Check to see if anyone is injured
First, make sure everyone in your car is uninjured, then check on the passengers in the other car. Say, “Is everybody OK? Can I get you help?” Resist the urge to apologize even if the accident is your fault, says Rock.
“Don’t discuss the accident at all,” Rock says. “Let law enforcement figure out whose fault it is. Remain calm, and say, ‘I’m going to call 911.’ Then step away. And don’t get into an argument.”
2. Move your car
If you can operate your car safely, move it out of the way of traffic. On side streets, move it to the side of the road. On highways, if safe, move the car to the shoulder and stay inside the car until help arrives. “It’s good manners not to block traffic, whether it’s a little or major accident,” Rock says.
3. Call 911
It’s essential to report the accident to police immediately. Answer questions honestly, but don’t spin out about how it was your fault, and you’re so sorry, and you’ll never drive again, and on and on.
Ask for the officer’s card, in case you want to contact him/her later. Also, ask how/when you can obtain a copy of the police report. Your insurance adjuster will want to see it.
4. Exchange information
Swap contact information with the other driver — name, address, phone number, email, insurance company and policy number. Get their license plate number, year-make-model-color of their car. To make that part easier, whip out your phone and take a picture.
Also, photograph damage to both cars.
5. Summons your inner reporter
Record everything that happened, in detail.
Wrong: I was minding my own business when this idiot crossed into my lane and smacked into me.
Right: I was driving west on Jamestown Road, and at the intersection with Popular Street, a vehicle made a left hand turn in front of me, and hit the driver’s side of my vehicle. When I got out of the car, I smelled alcohol on the other driver’s breath. I was driving at the speed limit of 30 mph.
If there are witnesses, get their contact information and give it to the police and your insurance company.
This immediate record will help you remember details when you tell your story to law enforcement and insurance adjusters, who will decide whose fault the accident was.
6. File a report
If law enforcement doesn’t arrive, file an accident report with your local police department and, if local law insists, with your department of motor vehicles. Be sure to get a report number, which your insurance adjuster will ask for.
7. Now, call your insurance provider
One advantage of working with a local insurance agency is that your personal insurance agent can guide you through the claim process.
Rock asks his clients to call him first, before they call a main accident report number for the insurance provider and give a recorded statement. “We’ll talk about the accident, and I will assist them in reporting the claim,” he says. “I’ll let them know what a claims adjuster will ask, so they’re prepared. Then I’ll either transfer the call to the 800 number, or they can sit in my office on a speaker phone.”
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