What to do if you are in a Car Accident

Most people don’t know what information to get after they are involved in a car accident. Here are a few helpful tips to make processing your claim a lot easier.

New York Auto Insurance

1) A lot of accidents end up being a “he-said- she-said” situation with a battle for the insurance companies and police to determine who was at fault. One good way to avoid that is to purchase disposable camera and keep in the glove box of your car. Make sure that after the accident and before the cars are moved, you take multiple pictures of both cars from different angles. If the other motorist is claiming something different, you will be able to provide the insurance company with pictures.

2) Check immediately for an injuries and make sure that you seek medical treatment right away if anyone is hurt. Some insurance regulations put a time limit on how long you have to claim for personal injuries, so it is best to get medical attention, if needed, as soon as possible.

3) Try to take pictures of the plates of any cars that may have witnessed the accident and try to get any witnesses to stay to give a report to the police.

4) Always make sure you call the police to take an accident report and do not move your car until the police have arrived. It will take about 7 business days for you to get the report, but if you want to get the information to your insurance company faster you can get some of the information yourself. You will need:

The other cars owners name, address, and phone number

 The license plate and VIN number of the other car

 The driver’s (if different from the owner) name, address, phone number and drivers license number

The insurance company, policy number and the insurance agents name (if possible) of the other driver

The names and phone numbers of any witnesses; and finally the badge number and name of the police officer that is taking your accident report.

5) Never admit that you are at fault or give your opinion of the accident while you are at the accident site.

Some insurance companies will provide you with an “accident report guide”. It will walk you through everything you should do after an accident to help them process your claim quickly. Ask your insurance company for a copy and keep it in the glove box of your car, it should walk you through all the steps above.