How to Report a Road Accident
Road accidents are common due to heavy traffic, distractions and faulty vehicles. Even if you're a careful driver, you can still be a victim of a road accident when, for example, someone hits your bumper. When an accident occurs on the road, you must take steps to ensure the safety of the people involved, get the proper insurance information from the other driver and inform the police of what has happened.
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Things You'll Need
- Names and addresses of drivers involved
- Insurance information
- Proof of insurance
- Vehicle registration
- DMV SR-1 report form
Instructions
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Check yourself to make sure you are OK after the car accident. Stop driving the car and turn off the engine. You should also ensure that the other driver is stable before requesting his personal and insurance information. If anyone is injured, call an ambulance for medical assistance.
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Exchange insurance and personal information with the other drivers involved in the accident. The information should include the driver's license number, vehicle license number, registration number, personal phone number, and name and address of their insurance company.
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Call the police, even though it is not required if no injuries are present. Having the police on the scene can document the facts and ensure the story is straight should there be complications after the accident.
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Locate a witness to the crash who can support your claims, if you were not at fault. Witnesses can save you money on your insurance premiums and ensure that you are not held responsible for the accident and its costs.
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Contact your insurance company to file a claim. You need to explain to it what happened. Provide the name of the intersection or road where the accident took place, the directions of each vehicle involved, make and model of each vehicle, license plate numbers, witness information, the overall damage in the collision and the other participant's insurance details. You also need to include how many people were in the car and if there were any injuries.
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Visit your local Department of Motor Vehicles office within 10 days of the accident. You need to do this if expensive damages, fatalities or injuries occurred. File an SR-1 report or have your insurance company do this on your behalf.
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References
- Photo Credit yellow car, a honda japanese sport car model image by alma_sacra from Fotolia.com
