Steps to Take After a Car Accident

Steps to Take After a Car Accident

May 28, 2021

Car accidents can happen anywhere at any time, which is why staying alert and being a defensive driver is so important. But even the best drivers can collide with another car or get into a single-vehicle accident.

Part of driver’s ed should include what to do after you’re involved in an accident—but that’s not always the case. Continue reading to learn the steps to take after an accident and more about truck and trailer repair in Centre County, PA.

Check for injuries

Before you do anything else, check yourself and all of your passengers for any injuries. If you or anyone else in the car is hurt, call 911 immediately to get an EMT on the scene as soon as possible. If anyone is severely injured, refrain from moving to avoid making the injury worse.

Call 911

Most states require drivers to contact the police after the accident. Even if it’s a minor fender bender, the police will likely need to file a report. In addition to police records, the accident report is often necessary to file an insurance claim.

If the police can’t come to the scene for some reason and the accident is minor, you can go to the police station and file the report yourself.

Exchange information

If your car accident involves another vehicle, you’ll need to get all of their information (and they’ll need yours). The information you’ll need includes their full name, insurance information, driver’s license and license plate numbers, make and model of the vehicle and the location of the accident.

Avoid talking about whose fault the accident is when you’re exchanging info. Liability will be determined by the insurance companies, not by the drivers.

Document the accident

Documenting all possible aspects of the accident is beneficial for your insurance company and helps protect you. We advise taking photos of both vehicles, getting a copy of the police report, writing names of all passengers in both vehicles and talking to any witnesses. This might seem like a lot of work, but it’ll be worth it in the long run.

Notify your insurer

Once all of the information above is obtained, you’ll need to contact your insurance company to start the claims process. We recommend calling your insurer as soon as you can to help speed up the claims process, which can take a while.

Repair your vehicle

Unless your vehicle is totaled, you’ll need to bring it to a professional for truck and trailer repair in Centre County, PA. Though it’s tempting, avoid going to the cheapest shop when searching for a repair company. Like with many things in life, you get what you pay for when it comes to vehicular repair.

Bring your damaged vehicle to us!

Don’t just go to anyone for collision repair—come to S & R Repairs Towing & Recovery Inc. With nearly 40 years of experience with truck and trailer repair in Centre County, PA, there’s no team more suited to repair your vehicle regardless of its issues.

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