Do you know what you need to ask for when you get in an accident?
Because we’re usually not expecting to be in a car accident, we can be taken by surprise when it happens. Most of us remember that we need to exchange phone numbers and insurance information with the other driver, but we might forget to check other important information. This is why we’ve created an Accident Checklist that can be downloaded and printed.
You can print a few copies and keep it in your car alongside your insurance paperwork. This can be especially helpful to share with any young drivers you may know. If they have never even been in a fender bender before, they can easily forget everything they’ve been advised to do by parents or instructors.
If a police officer comes to the scene of the accident, they will gather all of the important information for an accident report, but sometimes that report is not available to you immediately. Also for some minor accidents, both parties might decide not to call the police at all. This is fairly common in large cities like Houston and Dallas where it can take a long time for the police to arrive.
What have you forgotten?
One item that some people forget to check is whether the driver of the vehicle is also the owner of the vehicle. Drivers might not be forthcoming with this information if they’re not the owner of the vehicle. It could be their parent’s or a friend’s vehicle. You should always look closely at the insurance paper to determine this. If they’re not the owner, you’ll need both the driver’s and the vehicle owner’s information.
Another item people forget to check is whether the other vehicle’s license plates, insurance policy, or driver’s license are expired. If one or more of these items are expired, it’s recommended that you call the police, even for a minor accident.
The more information you remember to gather at the time of an accident, the easier time you’ll have when you’re speaking to the insurance agent later.
Click here to download and print out the Accident Checklist
