What Steps Should You Take Following an Accident?

Posted on
Did you know that you have a responsibility as a driver to take certain steps following an accident? If you fail to take the appropriate steps, it can affect whether or not your insurer will accept or payout on your car insurance claim. By gathering all of the information that you need and taking the proper steps at the scene of the accident, you can make the insurance claims filing process a hassle-free one. If you are in a minor fender bender or a more serious crash, here are some of the steps that you need to take. Contacting the Police The first thing that any driver should do following an accident is get to a safe place. If the vehicle is operable, pull to the side of the road out of the way of traffic. If the vehicle is inoperable, exit when it is safe. When you are able, you should contact the emergency service number and ask for the police to report to the car crash. Police must be notified when there are injuries or when there is property damage and the owner of the damaged property is not present. The report that is written at the scene can help support your claim. Exchanging Information If you are lucky enough to have avoided injuries and serious damage, the authorities may not need to report to the scene. If this is the case, your insurer will require that you get information so that the claims agent can contact the third party's insurer. You need to exchange names, insurance details, registration numbers, addresses and any other information that witnesses can provide. It may be in your best interest to take photos at the scene before anything has been cleaned up or any vehicles have been towed. The photos can be very valuable in determining fault. Getting Your Vehicle Home After everyone has exchanged information and the police have reported to the scene, you may need to call a company offering towing Melbourne services to tow your car to your home or to a local mechanic shop. It is against the law to drive away from the scene of an accident when your vehicle is not roadworthy. If you are not sure of your car's condition, ask the officer at the scene if it is legal to drive. After you are home and you have gotten past the shock of being in an accident, contact your insurer to file your claim. By doing this, you can pass the burden of dealing with the other party on to your claims adjuster for your own protection. Stay calm, stay focused and never admit fault. For more information, contact Maroondah Towing Service.
Share