What You Should Do If You Suffer A Car Accident

While all of your driving lessons should equip you with the skills to drive safely on the road, it is a fact that accidents and sometimes do happen, regardless of how well you apply what you have learned. There are any number of things that can lead to an accident on the road and you need to stay vigilant of all of them at all times.

However, if you do find yourself unfortunate enough to be in an accident it is important that you conduct yourself accordingly to get the situation resolved. The following are all things you should do in the immediate aftermath.

Call For Help

It is possible that one or more people may have suffered injury as a result of the accident so the first thing you should do is call for help as quickly as possible. Ask for both ambulances and the police, as this will mean that anybody who has been injured can be taken care of quickly and the police can cordon off the scene and conduct any investigation that needs to be done to discover the cause of the incident.

Exchange Details

The majority of accidents are fairly small shunts and bumps, which don’t always result in injury. Assuming everybody present at the scene is okay you should exchange insurance and contact details so you can resolve the situation as amicably as possible with the proper authorities. Be wary of what you say at this stage, especially if the accident wasn’t your fault. Saying sorry or accepting blame can come back to haunt you if the situation cannot be resolved easily. You are obligated to provide your details to anybody present and involved, including the police and any other authorities that arrive at the scene later.

Collect Details

If you are in a position to do so you should make an effort to collect as many details as you can about the accident. Look for witnesses and ask them to provide their information in case you need to call upon them to offer their insight into what happened. It may also be a good idea to keep a note of the registration of all vehicles involved in the incident, descriptions of the vehicles and the weather conditions, the time and date of the crash and even a sketch of what has happened, all of which may be usable in an insurance claim or should the case go to court.

Call The Insurance Company

Your insurance company must be informed of all accidents you have, regardless of how small, because they may affect the amount you pay for your coverage. This can often be difficult to do, especially if you have a no-claims bonus, but it is crucial as failure to do so means you won’t be able to claim on your insurance if the accident wasn’t your fault. You may also consider speaking to a personal injury solicitor, especially if you run into issues with the insurance company or the people involved in the accident.