What Should I Do If I''m In A Car Accident?

Summary: Provides tips on information that you should try to secure after you have been involved in a car accident. This information will be useful when filing a claim with your insurance company.

It's a beautiful day and you're driving down the road taking in the scenery. The wind blows through your hair and the breeze feels good beading down your face. You see there is a red mustang convertible traveling directly ahead of you. The license plate on the mustang reads you think FIN..??LY. You have difficulty reading the plate so you speed up to get closer to the rear of the vehicle. As you press down on the gas of your vehicle it accelerates from fifty to sixty-five in a flash, and before you know it you have rear ended that little red mustang. At this point your heart races and you feel angry, scared and frustrated at what just happened. You say to yourself what am I going to do and how did I manage to cause this accident. I could kick myself for what just happened. You now think about the consequences and try to determine what you should do next. You then decide to exit your vehicle to see how the driver of the mustang was doing. The mustang driver whose name was Manny, appeared to be doing physically fine, however he was upset that I had hit his classic red prized possession with license plates which you discovered read FINALLY. If you're in a car accident, first and foremost, try to obtain as much information from the other party involved in the accident which would include the following: drivers license information(name, date of birth, license number, address), telephone number, license plate number, vehicle type(year, make, model & color), insurance information(policy number, insurance company name, & address if possible). If the other party has no insurance, be sure to obtain the license plate number and all other information previously mentioned. In addition, if there is a witness or witnesses at the scene, obtain their name, address and telephone number if at all possible. This will be very helpful in determining who is responsible for causing the accident in reference to liability. If the police department is called to the scene of the accident, a report may be taken. If this is the case, the police officer taking the report may separate the parties involved and the identification information previously listed may be difficult to obtain. If this is the case, then make sure you obtain the police report number so that you can provide this information to your insurance company. Your insurance company will obtain a copy of the report, wherein the identification and accident information will be listed for all parties involved. Contact your insurance company to report the accident as soon as possible. Regardless if you plan on going through the other person''s insurance company for the repair of your vehicle. Most insurance companies require their policy holders to report accidents. If you fail to report the accident to your insurance company, you may find out at a later date when you try to apply for another insurance policy that you are listed on what is called a KLUE report for not reporting a particular accident to your carrier. This may have a negative impact on you obtaining a new policy. You may be listed on the KLUE report even if the accident is not your fault. The KLUE report is a specialized report which is used by most insurance companies concerning licensed drivers who are trying to obtain a new policy. It also provides information on your driving history.