Chapter 21

What to do if You are in an Accident

Most people will feel a little shaken up after they have been in an accident. That's why it is so important to be prepared. The first thing to do after an accident is to make certain everyone is O.K. Remember, property can be replaced, but responding quickly to an injury can be the difference between life and death. If someone is in need of medical attention then contact the proper authorities using a cell phone or if you do not have a cell phone try and flag someone down who does. If someone is injured, it is generally not a good idea to move him or her because that can cause further injury. If any vehicle is on fire or is in some eminent danger of exploding or injuring someone, quickly contact the proper authorities to deal with that situation as well.

Once all of the immediate hazards have been taken care of you can then move on to dealing with the information gathering. A common mistake drivers make is not getting enough information from the other party. Here is a list of the minimum information we suggest obtaining:

• Driver's name, address, phone number, and driver's license number and state of issuance.
• Name of insurance company insuring the vehicle and policy number.
• Vehicle make, year, and model.
• Vehicle identification number.
• Registration number and state of issuance.
• Vehicle owner's name, address, and phone number if different from the drivers.

Even if the accident is with an uninsured motorist still obtain as much information as you can.

If possible, get the vehicles off the road and out of traffic. Do not admit blame. Ask for witnesses' names, address, and phone numbers. As soon as you get home, write down everything you can remember about the events leading up to, during, and after the accident. For example, were you distracted, was there inclement weather, was there construction, etc?

You are generally required to call the police if someone is injured, if a vehicle needs to be towed away, or if the collective damage to all vehicles involved is $500 or more. We always suggest calling the police so there is an accident report, which can verify what happened. Without a police report, the other parties could change their stories and you may be out of luck when trying to collect damages.

There is a really good chance that the other driver may ask you not to report the accident and offer to pay you for your damages. You have to make your own decision, but doing so is risky because there could be more damage than had been originally apparent. Furthermore, there is no guarantee that this person will actually pay. The reason people do not want an accident reported is the fear of their insurance company being notified and their insurance rates increasing. However, police generally do not report accidents to insurance companies because the parties involved generally do. The point is, go ahead and call the police and file the report for your own protection.

After making the police report, notify your insurance company. Most states require that the insurance company be notified soon after an accident occurs. You should check the laws in your state to be sure.

When you take your vehicle in for repair and when you are speaking to your insurance agent here are some things to consider.

• Are the parts going to be new or used and are they original manufacturer parts or after market parts?
• Will using used or after-market parts affect the quality of the repair or resale value?
• Will using used or after-market parts keep my insurance rates down?
• How long will it take to get the insurance claim filed and how long will it take to get the repair completed?
• May I select the shop to perform the repair? Some insurance companies have arrangements with certain shops. These arrangements may simplify the process. For example, in some instances, using the insurance company's shop will eliminate the need to have an insurance company representative look at the vehicle. It may also eliminate you having to lay out the cash to fix the vehicle and wait for reimbursement from the insurance carrier.