1 Take Care Of Yourself – A personal inventory is of the utmost importance. Be sure to check for injuries before attempting to move forward.
2 Move Your Car Out Of Traffic – Flash your hazard lights so others know to be careful. If you have flares handy, those are a great help, too.
3 Exchange Information With The Other Driver – Name, phone number and address first. Then insurance company, policy number, driver’s license number, and plate number.
4 Call 911 – Filing a report now will speed up your insurance claim later.
5 Call Your Insurance Company – Be sure to give them a detailed of a report as you possibly can. This is bound to save you some trouble.
6 Take Photos And Notes – You’ll need these as evidence when working with your claims adjuster. Take plenty. You can never have too many.
7 Contact Your Mechanic – When all is said and done, you’re going to need that car back on the road. Contact your mechanic to set up repairs as soon as your are ready.
Post-Collision Checklist infographic courtesy of Faulkner Nissan.
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 car 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 CLUE 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 CLUE report even if the accident is not your fault.
The CLUE 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.
