Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. This is especially important if your car needs repairs. Manage your claim – check the status of your claim, upload photos and other documents, set up direct-deposit, communicate with your Claims team, get electronic notifications, and more. By signing up you are agreeing to receive emails according to our privacy policy. How it works. If you're at fault, you'll need the police report to be protected from legal action. By using our site, you agree to our. If the police aren’t available to come onto the scene, you can file a report by visiting a police station within 72 hours of the accident. What if it's a minor accident and the other driver insists they don't have time to exchange information? Call 999 straightaway if someone leaves the scene of the car accident without giving their details. Additional staged damage. Even if no one is hurt, there are still a few key steps you need to take to protect yourself and your insurance rates. Don’t let the other driver convince you to handle the accident without calling the police. This depends on the severity of the damage. And if you do call to make a car insurance claim, we'll need your personal details, description of the accident, where you are, and contact details … file claims online and record accident details at the scene. For more tips, including how to get a copy of your police report, read on. Property: Take down the address or location and a few notes on the description. Remember what you can about the other vehicle. Only ask for contact information if the other drivers do not provide insurance information. What if a person hit me and damaged my car, but drove off quickly before I could see the license plate? Do I have to call the police if there was an accident but there was no damage to anything? If the officer provides a reference number for the police report, make sure you jot it down. However, it would be beneficial to notify your insurer of your accident (even if you don't claim), as you may be required to do so under your Duty of Disclosure. If you hit a parked car there’s a good chance the owner either lives within eyeshot or is shopping at a nearby store. If you’re in a minor car accident, your first priority should be to make sure everyone’s okay. I really think that the truck is at fault, but the officer didn't issue a citation for the truck. For example, another vehicle could suddenly swerve into your lane. If there were any witnesses to your crash, take their details and ask them to wait for the police so they can give a statement. For more tips, including how to get a copy of your police report, read on. What do I do next? If anyone saw the accident and provided you with a statement or contact information at the scene, you should include information about them on your accident report. What if I'm involved in a car accident but I don't have insurance? Get a copy of any accident reports or incidents reports filed by the police and other drivers to assist in settling your claim. DO get as much information about the driver, car and accident as possible, including: License plate number, The other vehicle's make, model and color, Description … There doesn't even have to be contact between the two vehicles for the accident to occur. [11] Then, if it’s safe to do so, check your car for any damage. What should I do? In some circumstances the 3-year time limit in which to make a car accident claim may be extended, however, you should get legal advice sooner rather than later to be sure you can still start a claim. Details of police or emergency involvement. Include as much information about the person as possible, including their name, age, and gender. He thinks there is no damage to the car, but I have pictures of the damage and an estimate. How do I proceed? Any contributing factors to the accident, such as obscured traffic signs. Who's responsible when a car gets rear-ended? If anyone is hurt badly, call for emergency services right away. Getting in a car accident can be scary, even if it’s just a minor one. Your vehicle’s make, model, year, color and VIN. If your vehicle is damaged, take note of the license plate and model of the other car and ask the driver for their contact details. How can I be accident aware? Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 675,505 times. If the other car fled the scene, you can tell the police officer any information you remember about their car. Details of police or emergency involvement. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. The steps you take after a car accident can save lives, reduce injuries, help ensure quick settlement of your car insurance claim, and keep you out of trouble with the law; however, when you are stressed, it can be hard to remember what to do after a car accident. Identifying a car insurance company using a policy number can come in handy if you’re involved in a car accident with a driver who gives you incomplete insurance information. Tiger Woods seriously injured in car accident but ... calm and lucid when paramedics arrived on the scene. If not, write down: Time and date. A COUPLE who witnessed Princess Diana’s death claim the tragic car crash was not an accident. For more information about your state's coronavirus (COVID-19) updates, see our. What should I do if my car was hit on the highway, and the driver refused to give me any information? In some states, it’s required by law to pull your car out of the way of traffic after an accident. https://www.txdot.gov/driver/laws/collisions.html, https://exchange.aaa.com/automotive/roadside-assistance/auto-collision-tips/#.X39WHpNKjys, https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/post-crash.html, https://www.oregon.gov/odot/dmv/pages/driverid/accidentreport.aspx, lidiar con un accidente automovilístico leve, gérer un accident de voiture sans gravité, Please consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. All Rights Reserved. We've been helping billions of people around the world continue to learn, adapt, grow, and thrive for over a decade. My garden wall was damaged by a van and I have the registration number and a witness. If it’s blocking traffic, carefully move it out of the way. Consider keeping traffic cones or road flares in your car, so that you can warn other drivers in case you can’t move your car. Open a claim with your insurance company as soon as possible. Get a Car Insurance Quote & Start Saving! The damage to my car is at least $1,000, but the other party's insurance seems to be dumping me. Take the witness's information and the registration to the police and file a report. Call the police as soon as you can, since you’ll need to file a police report for your insurance claim. Some states don’t require you to report your accident if no one got hurt or the vehicle wasn’t damaged. Take pictures of both cars and write a detailed description of the damage as soon as you take car of any emergencies. Call the police if you’re in an auto accident, even if there only seems to be minor damage. Always write down names of any investigators, including police officers or insurance claims adjustors. See if you can find the owner nearby if they aren’t at the accident scene. Drivers who stage an accident or take advantage of a real accident cause extra damage to their own cars. It's especially important to get the police involved in this situation. Then contact your insurance agency and provide them with the police report. Follow any instructions given to you by your agent. You should take a picture, memorize the color and type of car and report the driver to your local police department. An accident is considered a “miss and run,” or is said to be caused by a "phantom driver," when one vehicle causes another one to crash and then leaves the scene, Bonney says. It's easy to use, no lengthy sign-ups, and 100% free! The American Automobile Association (also known as "AAA" or "Triple A") is a federation of motor clubs throughout North America and non-profit organization focused on the safety of the driving public and the future of mobility. Stay in your car if there is a risk of injury or if moving might put you at risk of further injury. Follow instructions from your auto insurance agent. If it's due to natural conditions such as rain or ice, it may be nobody's fault. It’s okay to feel nervous or freaked out after an accident—just take a deep breath, make sure you’re okay, and move your car to safety. Inform your insurance carrier after you contact law enforcement. Try to take a picture of the car if you can do it safely. % of people told us that this article helped them. wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. Consider calling to police if the driver tries to flee. write down: Many insurance companies now employ the use of mobile applications to help consumers The pictures will be for your insurance company, so they should paint an accurate picture of the scene. How To File An Accident Report With The Police, Evaluating Personal Injury In Auto Accidents, First Steps Following A Personal Injury Auto Accident, When To Seek Medical Attention For Personal Injury, When Another Driver Has an Accident in Your Car. This is especially important if the other driver was at fault. Make/model/color anything that stands out, like holes in the bumper, cracks, stickers/decals, paint defects, direction of travel and name of the road they are traveling on. All classifieds - Veux-Veux-Pas, free classified ads Website. Be especially careful to not admit fault when talking to the other driver or the police. Weather and traffic conditions. © 1999 - 2021 DMV.ORG. Some drivers can be belligerent and offensive in the event of an accident. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/8\/84\/Deal-With-a-Minor-Car-Accident-Step-2-Version-4.jpg\/v4-460px-Deal-With-a-Minor-Car-Accident-Step-2-Version-4.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/8\/84\/Deal-With-a-Minor-Car-Accident-Step-2-Version-4.jpg\/aid163917-v4-728px-Deal-With-a-Minor-Car-Accident-Step-2-Version-4.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"