What To Do When You Get In A Accident

Check out this video for some great tips to live by in the event of an accident.

 With over 6 million car accidents occurring annually in the U.S.A, New York Auto Insurance would like to help you be prepared in the eventuality that you are involved in such a mishap. Whether the fault is yours or another driver’s, how you behave immediately following the accident may determine how expeditiously your auto insurance claim is handled and how costly it may end up being.

Be Prepared

New York Auto Insurance thinks that a prepared driver is a safer driver. Having an emergency roadside kit available to you as well as a charged cell phone you can use to call for help or to even possibly take pictures of damage is a good idea. Also having your insurance card available along with a pen and paper to record the other driver’s information is imperative.

Be Safe

If you are involved in a minor accident and the vehicles involved can be moved safely away from oncoming traffic, this is advisable. Leaving your car in the middle of the road puts both you and all the other drivers at risk as it may obstruct traffic and cause further accidents. If you are unable to move your vehicle, use your cell phone to call for help immediately and stay seated with you safety belt on and hazard lights activated. If your emergency kit includes flares, use them.

Details Please

Once you and the other drivers are safe, share all pertinent information including names, addresses, phone numbers, insurance companies, policy numbers, make and model of vehicles and drivers license numbers. Also recording the details of the accident is a good idea though claiming responsibility for the crash to the police or the other affected parties is not advisable. If there are people who saw the accident occur, getting their contact information is helpful. If there should be a discrepancy about details, they may be able to offer clarity to the police and the new york auto  insurance companies.

Say Yes To A Police Report

Opting to file an accident report will expedite your claim’s process and get you back out on the road more quickly. If for some reason the police do not come to the scene, you are able to download such a report from your state’s Department of Motor Vehicles and file it on your own.

Let Your Insurance Company Help You

Allowing your insurance company to sort through the details and to work with the other driver’s carrier is advisable. Though it may seem easier to try to handle it on your own, this may cause more of a headache and hassle to deal with. Agreeing to pay for damage is one thing, but receiving a costly bill and actually writing a check is something totally different. You pay for car insurance, so use it.