No one wants to be involved in an accident. However, it can happen unexpectedly, irrespective of whose fault it is. Most people don’t know what to do after an accident occurs until it hits them. That’s what this article will address.
Your Safety Is Important
The first thing that needs to be done after an accident is to ensure that everyone is okay. Check everyone in your car to ensure that they are alright. Call the emergency services immediately if anyone is hurt.
The next thing is to do is to get yourself to a safe place. For instance, if you’re on a motorway, get out of your vehicle and get behind the barriers. If your car broke down in a risky position, call the emergency services.
If you think you’ve sustained neck injuries, the emergency services will ask you not to get out of your car. However, you may need to leave your car if your car is in a dangerous position.
Place your warning triangle at least 45 meters down the road to protect yourself and also warn other road users. If it’s dark or the visibility is poor, keep your side light on.
You can also take photos of your car and the vehicle or object that collided with you. Take as many photographs as you can with the vehicles on the spot. Don’t try to move the vehicles. This will help those concerned to see exactly the part of each vehicle that collided with each other.
Do Not Say It Was Your Fault
This is a very important point that you need to remember. This will help your insurance company to effectively work out what went on.
Get the details of the other party. These details include name, address, phone number and vehicle registration. Take note of the number of occupants in their vehicle. Also, note down the make, model as well as the color of the vehicle.
You can also ask for proof of identity. This will help you to confirm if the information they provide are true or false. You should also request for their insurance details to see if they are insured. If they refuse to give their insurance details, call the police because refusal to give insurance details is a criminal offence.
Get a Witness
Get the details of any witness. Also, check to see if there are cameras around. If possible, record the driver and his or her occupants; this is not against the law. This will help to prevent any form of fraudulent claims against you. If the other party tries to get aggressive, call the police for help.
How to Recover Your Car Back
If you have car recovery insurance, your insurance company will pay for your recovery fees. You can arrange for this by yourself or get in touch with the RAC or AA. You can also contact the police or a Recovery firm that you know. Your insurance company will pay the fees irrespective of the step that you take.
If you leave your vehicle in storage for 3 weeks before getting in touch with your insurer, you will be responsible for the recovery fee. If you plan to use your own repairer, then you need to get your car recovered directly to your insurer’s premises if you can.
If there’s space in your home and the space is off the road, your vehicle can be recovered to your home address. This will put you in charge of the claim process.
You are responsible for the recovery charges of your car if you are only insured “Third Party Fire and Theft.” The exception to this is if the accident is someone else’s fault or it is stated differently in your insurance policy.
Note that the police have what is called “statutory instruments.” They use them to plan the recovery of vehicles via police contractors at certain rates under the “statutory instruments.” These rates are not cheap.
If your car is moved by the police, ensure you inform your insurance company immediately, preferably within 48 hours, depending on where it is moved to.
Here at White Recovery, our advice is to arrange your own recovery if you can, rather than allow the police to arrange one for you.