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What to remember when in a car accident

Posted by: at 6:58 AM on August 1st, 2017

Nothing can prepare you for a car accident and as cautious of a driver as you might be, crashes happen to the best of us. As a result of shock, trauma and often rage, it is easy to forget what to do in order to claim from your insurance later. Here are a few tips to remember, if you ever find yourself in this situation

1.  Bring your car to a complete stop.

2. Check for injuries.
In this instance, flight rules apply. Are you alone in the car or do you have passengers? First check that you are fine and in the event that you have passengers, after checking on yourself, make sure that they are fine too. Once everyone’s well-being has been accounted for, see to the occupants of the other vehicle.

3. Location, location, location.
It is important to note that if the accident happened on the road, you might have to call law enforcement. If it happens in a residential complex/parking lot, then the latter is not necessary.

4. Licence please.
Take a deep breath and exchange licenses. Should one of the drivers be a learner, ask for the license of the person they are driving with as well.


5. Details please.
Take a picture of the other person’s license. Make sure their ID and license number are visible. Get their full names as per their ID, contact numbers and, preferably, a residential address.  Remember to take pictures of their license and their vehicle identification number (VIN)

6. A pictures is worth a thousand words.
Take pictures of both vehicles, because of the trauma after an accident, people can forget certain details.  A picture can help fill in memory gaps. 

7. Report the accident.
Report the accident, within 24 hours, to the police station in the area where it took place. 


8. Insurance.
Your insurance will need the case number you will get from the police station as well as the details you collected at the scene. These include pictures of the accident, contact details, names etc.
 
If you or a loved one has been involved in a car accident, contact the staff at LDM&M.  For over 40 years, we have been helping individuals get the justice and compensation they deserve through personal, one on one attention.