As a driver, hands down one of the most stressful situations to be in is getting involved in a car accident. With the adrenaline pumping and your mind going a million miles a minute, the last thing on your mind might be to protect yourself or your interests. You might not exactly be in the calmest, most rational state of mind.

But this type of event is precisely when you need to keep your wits about you. The following recommendations are key to taking control of the situation. You might even consider jotting them down and keeping them with your car insurance papers, so that even when frazzled or otherwise beside yourself, you can reference them. 

• Call the police immediately, and an ambulance if necessary in the situation.
• While your instinct might be to immediately start hashing out the situation verbally with the other party involved and assessing what happened and why, do not admit liability. Keep your thoughts to yourself and leave it to the insurance providers to determine what happened and whose fault it was.
• Record the details of the accident including date, time, location, a description of the accident, any injuries, and any charges laid. You may think that you will remember these details, but given the highly charged nature of an event such as this, you might be surprised at what slips your mind down the road.
• Record details concerning the other party involved in the accident and his or her vehicle such as the owner’s full name and address, phone number, and the year, make and model of the vehicle.
• It is very important to obtain the auto insurance information of the other driver. Make sure you get the name of the insurance company they are covered under, the policy number and the name of their broker or agent.
• Get a copy of the police report from the attending officer so that you have the accident report number for future reference.

Do remember that these are just some helpful hints and every situation will be unique and will require different actions. Another consideration is auto insurance fraud – learn more about how to protect yourself here. 

It’s helpful to have a list handy of the information you need to gather after a collision – click here for our post car accident checklist.

Whenever you are involved in a car accident, you should contact your insurance broker immediately to get the support you need during this challenging situation. Your agent will be able to offer you expert advice as to how to handle the situation and give you the specifics on how your car insurance coverage will go into effect.

Have some further questions about what to do in an accident? Not happy with the service you’re getting from your current insurance provider? Want to get a quote for cheap auto insurance in Toronto and Ontario? Whatever assistance you need, we’re here and would love to hear from you. Contact us today.

Image source: FreeDigitalPhotos.net |  Naypong