Car Insurance Resource – Post Accident Checklist
It’s probably one of the worst things about being a driver – getting in an accident. Whether you are at fault, or someone crashed into you, it’s a super stressful and difficult situation to be in.
As we’ve talked about in this post, if you’ve been in an accident, there are certain steps you should take. You always want to protect yourself, your interests and your car insurance rates. It’s also helpful to be aware of and understand car insurance fraud and how sometimes “accidents” are really just staged collisions. Learn more about that here.
So with that information under your belt, if you’ve been in a car accident, here is a checklist of the information you should gather…
Post car accident checklist
~ The basics: the date, time and location of the collision
~ Where are the cars: note the position of the cars relative to each other as well as to traffic controls or stop signs.
~ For the cars involved:
– Year | Make | Model | Colour | Licence plate number
– The insurance company name and policy number for all the vehicles
– Details about any damage to the vehicles
– Are there any passengers in the other cars? Note how many and get their contact information as well.
~ For those involved: Make sure that you have all the names, driver’s license numbers and contact details (phone number, address) for all the drivers involved.
~ For those not involved: Are there any witnesses around who, while not involved with the accident, saw what happened? Be sure to get their contact information as well.
~ Is the scene of the accident being attended by the police? Take note of the officer’s name as well as the collision report he or she makes.
~ Be cognizant of scam signs: Do drivers or occupants of the other vehicles suddenly act as though they are hurt or injured when the police arrive on the scene? Is someone involved in the accident trying to get you to use a particular service provide, like a lawyer or a car mechanic? Listen to your spidey sense. If you think you’re witnessing fraud, listen to your gut, take notes and inform your insurance broker.
With that information noted down, it’s time to get in touch with your car insurance broker. Being able to share these specific details will be valuable for the claims process. Being organized will help to minimize the negativity of this bad situation.
It’s hard to keep your wits about you when you’re under such stress. No one could blame you for forgetting important details or for pertinent information to slip your mind. That’s what stress does. This is why it’s a good idea to be prepared before an accident (and fingers crossed you’ll never need to use what you’ve prepared). Have a pen and paper handy in your car. Have the pertinent pieces of information listed above jotted down, so you don’t have to remember in the moment what all those details were. The Insurance Bureau of Canada has also put together this handy resource – print it off and have it in your glove box… and hopefully you will never need it.
Have you been in an accident and are wondering how your car insurance rates are going to be affected? Have questions about getting the best insurance coverage you can in Ontario? Reach out to one of our insurance specialists – we’ll be happy to help. Or head over here to access our online insurance quote system.