Important Steps to Take After an Accident.
The chances of an accident occurring are always high when you are out on a drive as you can be at fault or the accident can be caused by other motorists on the road. Controlling the occurrence of an accident is impossible but you can always take control of the events that follow after an accident. Take the measures below after you have been involved in an accident.
Being involved in an accident may render your unconscious but if you are still conscious it is your duty to ensure that the accident doesn’t escalate and lead to further fatalities. If the damage caused by the impact is not severe, you ought to take a safety step and move the car to the side of the road and switch on the hazard signal lights. Fleeing from the scene of accident is a hit and run criminal offense punishable by law.
If you are conscious, ensure that you check yourself and all the other passengers in your car and the other car for injuries. Contact the emergency services immediately realize that some of the passengers have sustained serious injuries or if the cars involved in the accident are blocking the road and are incapacitated.
Calling the police to the scene of the accident is a wise step you need to take. The main advantage of calling the police for them to file a legal record of the accident is that your insurance company may need the document once you make a claim with them. The police report can exonerate you if the other party involved in the accident makes a claim against you. It is recommended that you call the police if the other driver flees the scene, you suspect that the driver is under the influence, if you think the other driver caused the accident or suspect the other party lacks an insurance cover.
Talking to the other party involved in the accident and ascertaining if they are okay is a very good gesture. Avoid giving an apology to the other party as and stick to seeking their personal information only. It is recommended that you only record the events of the accident when the police interrogate you. It is important that you take the other parties insurance details and verify them with the cars specific registration details and characteristics. It is also wise to collect evidence from the scene of accident such as photographs of the car and the area around the accident, the weather conditions, the time of the accident and also take contacts from individuals who witnessed the accident.
Once first aid has been administered to you, the last thing you need to do is inform your insurer of the accident. The process of your claim is initiated the moment you inform the insurer of the accident.