Collision course
What to do if you're in an automobile accident.

Remain calm. Easier said than done when you’re involved in a car wreck, but heeding that advice will help you make the best of a bad situation. Here are some other pointers:

• Don’t leave the area, but do move your car to a safer place if it’s blocking traffic or creating a safety hazard for you or others.

• Call 911 if anyone needs medical attention.

• Call the police to report the accident. An officer may be dispatched to the scene or you may be instructed to exchange information with the other drivers.

• Do not admit responsibility or discuss your insurance-policy limits.

• Exchange information with the other driver, including name, address, phone number, driver’s license number, insurance provider, and policy number.

• Write down information about the accident and the vehicles involved. Record the year, make, model, license plate, and color of the vehicles involved; the time and exact location of the accident; names, addresses, and phone numbers of all other passengers.

• If you have a camera, take photos of the cars and any damage that occurred from the accident.

• Get the names and phone numbers of any
witnesses.

• Contact your insurance company as soon as possible to report the accident.

Be aware of automobile insurance fraud. A typical scam involves a driver who causes an “accident” on purpose—possibly by getting in front of your car, then slamming on the brakes for no reason—simply to collect on insurance claims. Your best recourse in such situations is to call the police to file an official report, be as detailed as possible in describing the incident, count the number of passengers in the other car and get their names and phone numbers, and locate witnesses to the incident.

Photo © Jeff Tautrim.

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