If you have been involved in a car accident then there are a few steps that you need to take. If you don’t follow these steps then you will end up struggling and that you also
make the situation worse than it has to be. If you need some help then simply look below.
Stop and Take Note of What Has Just Happened
However minor you think the accident is, you need to stop. Failing to stop is an offense, so this is the first thing you need to do. You should also make sure that your car’s engine light is turned off, and that you have your hazard lights turned on so you can alert other people of your presence. When you have done all of this, you then need to take a look around. If you know that someone has been hurt or is injured as a result of the accident then you need to call the police, or an ambulance if you feel as though you need one as well. If you don’t need an emergency response as you feel as though the accident was quite mild then you should call your local non-emergency line instead. If your car is blocking the road then you should call the police as well. If you feel as though there was foul play involved then this is an even bigger reason to call the police. Take as many photos as you can and document evidence too. If you have bought your car on finance then it may be that you need to file an insurance claim, to make sure that any damages are paid for. If you do need to make a claim, it could also be worth looking into car finance claims, as it may be that you have been mis-sold PCP and that you have the potential to make a claim here, even if you can’t claim for vehicle damage. If your car is written off you may still be able to claim any mis-sold PCP, so don’t write off options like this as it could be a good way for you to get some cashback. Either way, looking into your potential options is the best way for you to protect yourself moving forward.
Give Details of your Insurance Company
When you have processed the situation, you then need to make sure that you give your details and that you also give your name and your address. Even if you hit a parked car, you need to write down your details on the windscreen. Avoid saying sorry, and also be sure that you don’t accept blame for the accident at the moment as it may be that this is used against you at a later date. Car accidents that result in injuries, or where the motorist left the scene before leaving details can be an offense too. This can result in you getting a fine or you being given penalty points on your license. If you do exchange details and there were no injuries reported then you do not have to tell the police about what happened. Be sure to collect the names and details of the people involved in the crash and also ask the other driver for their insurance details as this is the best way for you to find out if they own the vehicle or not. Make a note of their name and address, and if they leave without doing this, call the police.
Details You Should Collect
It’s so important that you collect certain details from the scene as well. Some of the details you should be collecting include the registration number of the vehicle and a note of the color. You should also take note of the make and model of the vehicle. A sketch that shows the position of the vehicles and the weather conditions will also help you out a lot. If you know that the conditions were particularly bad. A sketch showing the position of the vehicles will also help you a lot here, as you may be able to show where the damage was and where the pedestrians were. If you can keep things like this in mind and if you can give some thought to the lighting then this will help you out.
You may find it useful to take photos too. Although you may feel a little awkward doing this, it is a very good way for you to make sure that you are accurately documenting the scene of the accident so that if more details come out later on, you know that you can report the facts accurately. Most modern phones come with the option to add a timestamp to the photo too, and if you use this to your advantage then you should find that you cannot only report the time of the accident, but also the position of the cars at the time which is useful.
Call Someone
You may not be able to drive your car home if you have been in an accident, so it’s wise for you to call someone who may be able to come out. Even if your car seems fine, you don’t know what damage has been done so give someone a call in case you run into issues later down the road and need someone to come and collect you. While you are at the side of the road it’s also worth looking up the number for a car recovery service, so you at least have a service you can call should you break down before you get home. Having numbers like this to hand will help you to make the whole situation less stressful and it will also give you the chance to work through the situation you are in without having additional things go wrong. If you can do this then you will make your life way easier and you will also be able to set yourself up for the next stage, which is filing a claim for any damages.
