Something no one likes is being involved in a car accident. They can be scary, and they can certainly do a number on your car. What you do after an accident is important. It can help to determine whether you will get your car repaired or end up in a very bad financial situation. Here are some steps you should take after you’ve been involved in an accident.
Get the Other Driver’s Information
The first thing you should do after an accident involving another driver is to get that driver’s information. This should include their name, address, phone number and their car insurance information. If you want the damage to your car to be paid for without taking a big hit to your car insurance premiums, this is absolutely required.
Call the Police
The second course of action you must take after a car accident is reporting the accident to the police. The responding police officer will interview both drivers, as well as any other potential witnesses, and examine the scene of the accident. They should be able to get to the bottom of what really occurred. If the other driver was at fault for the accident, having a police report that backs up your claims is integral to getting the correct treatment from your car insurance so the damage to your car is fully covered.
Call Your Car Insurance Provider
Next, you should call your car insurance provider to make the insurance claim. Do so directly after the accident and provide all the information requested. You need to get the ball moving fast. This is especially the case if your car is damaged to the point you can no longer safely drive it. You want to make sure the claim is approved quickly, any repairs are approved, and a car rental is supplied to you if necessary.
Get Your Car Repaired
Once your claim has been approved, you should get your car repaired. If it wasn’t hauled to an auto-shop after the accident, you will have to drive it in yourself. Whether your car requires paintless dent repair or more significant repair work, your insurance should pay for it if you followed the previous three steps correctly.
Repairing the damage done to a vehicle involved in an accident does not come cheap. Unless you want to go deep into debt, you need to do the correct things to ensure that your claim is approved by your car insurance provider.