What to Do After a Car Accident

If you’ve ever been unfortunate enough to find yourself in a car accident, you know that they’re a serious, no laughing matter. At the very least, they can be jarring and inconvenient – and at the other end they can result in much worse. That being said, knowing what to do after a car accident on the roads of Staten Island is part of being a responsible motorist. Keep reading to learn what to do after a car accident, including car accident insurance claim information. Remember, you can always reach out to us if you have any questions!

What to Do After a Car Accident | Post-Accident Checklist

The immediate and following steps you should take in the context of a car accident depends largely on the severity of the accident you’ve found yourself in. For the purposes of instruction, we’ll categorize potential accidents into ‘minor’ and ‘major’ events. Here’s what to do in the event of each, should they happen to you in or around the Bridgewater area:

Minor Accidents | What to Do After a Car Accident

Some examples of minor car accidents include a fender-bender at an intersection or someone backing into your car in a parking lot. Here’s what you should do after a minor car accident:

1. Check to see if you or any of your passengers are in need of medical attention or assistance.
2. If able, pull your vehicle over to a safe location. Just far enough to not block traffic should do it.
3. Check to ensure the other driver is alright and can handle their end of the situation, they should be taking the same steps as yourself.
4. Call the police, even if the other driver would prefer not to. It’s always better to have an official documented report, in the event of law-suit or insurance inquiry, should you be filing a car accident insurance claim.
5. Exchange contact and insurance information with the other party. If police are present, this may be facilitated by them – just make sure that this important step happens.
6. Document your vehicle’s damage, preferably by photo or video evidence with a dated watermark.
7. Contact your insurance provider. The sooner you tell them the details of the accident, the sooner the claims process can begin.

Major Accidents | What to Do After a Car Accident

Major accidents, especially ones that result in significant injury to you or others, should be handled a bit differently than your average Union County fender-bender. Take the following steps to ensure things are handled correctly, for everyone’s benefit:

1. Call 911 right away! They’ll be immediately needed for medical attention and clearing the scene after an investigation.
2. Contact your insurance provider as soon as possible! The longer you wait, the more it can complicate your car accident insurance claim.
3. Follow up with your physician for any injury related to the crash! Having a record of treatment as a result of the accident is important for insurance purposes.

How to File a Car Insurance Claim | Car Accident Insurance Claim Filing

For the specifics on how to file a car insurance claim, you’ll need to contact your insurance provider. Fortunately, most modern automotive insurance companies make filing a claim fairly straightforward. The process may differ slightly based on the type of claim, your coverage, and the insurance provider, but when you file a claim, you’ll likely need this information handy:

• Your insurance policy number
• Detailed description of how the accident occurred
• Date, time, and location of the accident
• All the collected contact and insurance information from other involved parties
• Name of the police department involved, as well as the police report number (if applicable)

Springfield Acura Gets Drivers Safely Back on the Road!

If your vehicle is in need of repair after a collision, or you’re in the market for a new vehicle altogether, the team at Springfield Acura has the solution for you! Our highly rated Springfield Township location has both the tools and staff to fix virtually any car issue – and our team of Acura enthusiasts can assist you with finding the right new vehicle, if needed! Best of all, our service center is factory certified, so having insurance-paid repairs here should be a seamless process! Give us a call at %%di_phone_number%% to learn more.