After a car accident

We all cringe at the thought of an accident in our cars, vans, and motorcycles. If the worst should happen, it’s worth nothing, but here are a few points that could help you in the long run.

So, you drive somewhere, and suddenly, out of the blue, you have an accident. You may hit someone, or they may hit you. It may be your fault, or it may be theirs, but before we draw conclusions, take a step back and check you are ok after the accident.

The next thing to do is get out of your vehicle and check for damage, and check your surroundings. It is so important in this situation to take photos of everything. Lots of pictures of your damage and the damage to the third-party vehicle. Then the easiest way forward is to speak to the other third party and swap the insurer’s details.

NEVER, when making contact with the other person in the accident, say you are SORRY. How can you be sorry when you do not know whose fault it is? Do not admit anything; it’s not your job to do that; it is your insurance company’s job. There is no need to have a long conversation with the other party to make sure you do not say anything incriminating. Always get the third parties’ details.

You will need Name, address, and insurance company, but most importantly, the make, model, if possible and the registration number. Without these details, you may find your insurer cannot get the details it needs to process your claim. All this can be easy to say because you just had an accident and could be shaken up, but try. Getting these simple things done first is important.

Then contact your insurer, giving all the details you received and give them a description of the accident. They will ask you a series of questions about things like what the driving conditions were like, etc. Just tell the truth, as lying can void your insurance, but everything you say is logged.

That is, if the insurance company handles your case, it will contact the other driver’s insurance and decide who was or was not to blame. There can also be an outcome of 50/50 liability that can be given.

Finally getting the outcome you do not want allows you to appeal to the insurance company. If you feel you were not in the wrong, always complain to the complaints department because remember, if it’s your fault, you’re looking at an insurance premium increase, and that hits the pocket worse.