What to do in an Accident
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What to do in an Accident
- Asses the accident
Determine if anybody is seriously hurt. If there are any medical injuries, call 911 immediately and try
to stay calm. - Move your car to a safe location
Once you’ve addressed any medical conditions, try to move your car off the road. If the cars are
moveable, try to drive them to a safe position near the location of the accident. You should always
try to stay close to where the accident occurred because if you go too far, you could be accused of
leaving the scene of an accident. - Call a tow truck
If the cars are not moveable, call a tow truck and, if you can do so safely, try to put out hazard
triangles or flares to stop or slow traffic. This is where your emergency road kit will come in handy. - Call the police
No matter how serious the accident, call the police. They will let you know if they will come out to you
or if you need to go to a station or other location. - Exchange information with the other driver
While waiting for the police, you should get the name, address, phone number and driver’s license
number, as well as the insurance information of the other driver. Ask to see their insurance card to
get their policy information or agent’s name and number. You should do this as long as there are no
medical injuries. - Take down information about the other car
Take down the year, make, model and license plate number of the other car. - Ask witnesses for their contact information
This will be helpful if there are legal questions later. - Explain what happened to the police
When the police arrive, follow their instructions and answer their questions. - Take pictures of the accident
If you have a camera or camera phone, you can take pictures of the cars involved for your records. - Call your insurance agent or insurance carrier
If it’s safe for you to do so, call your agent or carrier and tell them the facts of what happened.
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