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What to Do at the Scene of an Accident

Content approved by Jerry Parker In the United States, more than six million auto accidents happen every year. Although most of these accidents only involve damage to the vehicles, about a third of them cause injuries to the drivers and/or passengers. In addition, roughly 20 percent of all accidents result in a fatal injury. Whether […]

Content approved by Jerry Parker

What to do at the scene of an accident In the United States, more than six million auto accidents happen every year.

Although most of these accidents only involve damage to the vehicles, about a third of them cause injuries to the drivers and/or passengers. In addition, roughly 20 percent of all accidents result in a fatal injury.

Whether an accident involves a car, truck, or motorcycle, it’s imperative to take the proper steps to deal with the situation.

Steps to Take After an Accident

  1. Always stop after an accident. Never leave the scene, even if the accident is minor.
  2. Turn your hazard lights on and set up flares, if necessary, to protect the accident scene and other drivers.
  3. Call the police for every car accident, even if there are no injuries. The police report will be useful if you need to file an insurance claim.
  4. Give an accurate accounting of the details of the accident to investigating officers. Never speculate or guess if you’re not sure about a detail. Never deny treatment for injuries immediately after an accident. Sometimes, an injury can take hours or days to become problematic.
  5. Take pictures of the vehicles to record the damage, but don’t interfere with the police investigation. Gather important details such as a description of all vehicles, license plate numbers, and vehicle identification numbers.
  6. Exchange information with all people involved in the accident, including insurance details for all vehicles involved. Get the police report number from the police.
  7. Report the accident to your insurance company as soon as possible. Be ready to tell the claims adjuster all of the details about the accident, including the date and time, location, your direction of travel, the driving conditions, and how the accident occurred. Also provide information about other parties involved, witnesses’ names and contact information, other insurance companies, and policy numbers.
  8. Get medical attention if you experience pain in the hours and days following the accident.
  9. Set up a file to manage all documentation related to the accident. The file should include the police report number, insurance claim number, name of the claims adjuster, contact information for all parties involved, and receipts for all expenses connected with the accident.
  10. Consult an attorney for assistance with getting full compensation for your damages.

Steps to Take if You Witness an Accident

  1. Ensure your safety by pulling over to the side of the road at least 100 feet away from the accident scene. Turn on your hazard lights.
  2. Always call 911, even for minor accidents. Never assume that someone else has called. Provide location details to the 911 operator.
  3. If it’s safe to approach the accident scene, check on the victims to see if you can help. Never move injured people unless there’s a risk of fire.
  4. Stabilize the vehicles, if possible. Ask the drivers to put their vehicles in park and turn the engines off. Set up flares to warn other drivers.
  5. Provide an official statement to authorities and claims agents. Be factual and consistent with your statement.

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