A car accident can be a frightening experience and is often followed by a lot of questions and confusion about how next to proceed. Below are the steps you should take after a collision that will help to best protect you, your car and your finances.
Stay on the scene
Never leave the scene of an accident without first exchanging information with the other driver or meeting with the police.
Check on everyone involved
Check on the health of everyone in each vehicle involved and administer any necessary first aid treatment. Call 911 if further assistance is needed.
Use your roadside emergency kit
Turn on your emergency flashers. If it’s dark, keep your headlights on and use road flares or reflective markers to signal your presence to other drivers.
Call the police if necessary
If significant damage or injury results from the accident, call the police. If not, you may simply exchange the following information with the other driver:
- Name
- Phone number
- Address
- Driver’s license number
- License plate number
- Insurance information, including policy number and contact information
Speak to witnesses
If there were any witnesses, get their names and contact information. They may be instrumental in helping to determine who was at fault.
Take pictures
Snap some photos of any damage to your car as well as some wide shots that show the position of the cars on the road at the moment the contact occurred.
Notify your insurance company
Call your insurance company as soon as possible to notify them that you were in an accident so they can get the claims process underway.
Keep track of any medical treatment
If you required any medical treatment as a result of the accident, keep track of your expenses in case the other driver is determined to be at fault.
Consider hiring an attorney
If anyone was injured in the accident, you may want to consider hiring an attorney for protection.
Find a good body shop
If your car has been in an accident, you’re going to need to find a reputable body shop to help repair the damage and get you back on the road.
Schedule Your Appointment in Northumberland, PA
A car accident can be stressful, but the repair process doesn’t have to be. The collision repair shop at W&L Subaru Collision Center is equipped with state-of-the-art technology to fix any make or model of car.
Schedule your appointment today in Northumberland, Pennsylvania, and get your car back on the road as good as new.
