Getting Car Insurance Claims - What to Do When Auto Accidents Strike By Patricia Gabbett At Isnare.com Ezine Articles

According to statistics, there are about 43,000 people getting killed in fatal car accidents each year in the United States. Forty percent are alcohol-related and about 2.9 million people get injured per year. The numbers show that each time you start the engine an accident could be waiting around the corner. This is more reason for drivers to get car insurances.

Any wise person who gets into a car crash would do the following procedures for his own safety.

Don't panic

When an accident happens, the first thing you should do is to keep calm. Of course, if there are serious casualties focus on them first and give due medical attention. Try your best not to panic because that way you can take control of the situation for it to not get any worse. Once you're calm, look at the extent of the damages and make an assessment.

Notify the authorities

Apart from calling an ambulance, you should contact the police and file a car accident report. This is important no matter how minor you think the accident is. You have to have a legal accident report which you should be filed on the scene. This means that you should not leave the place until the police come.

Talk to the right people

When a severe car crash takes place, people find it difficult to speak about what happened. This is understandable because it's not everyday that you get into an accident and these circumstances could really shake you up and leave you speechless. However, it's important to get the facts right with the police and your insurance agent. They are the only people you should be discussing with. When you make a statement, limit it to what you saw happened without admitting any faults or liabilities. Whose fault was it would be based on an investigation.

Don't assume anything

True, you should do your part in the investigation as well. There is much importance in getting the other party's facts. Most drivers recognize this but when they actually get into an accident, they forget about it for some reason. Get the names, address and phone numbers of all the people involved in the accident. Also, secure their license plate number and the identification number of their cars. If you are not familiar with their car's model, remember what it looks like. Your insurance company will need these information. If you can, take note also of their insurance provider.

Contact your insurance agent

As mentioned, you should be giving your testimonial to the police and your insurance agent and no one else. This implies that you should give him or her a call as soon as you can. If he or she can't manage to be there at the scene, he or she must be notified. You can ask the police to give your agent the accurate account of the accident if you are still in shock. The sooner you inform your insurance company, the faster they would be able to process your claim.

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