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Do you know what to do in case of an Auto Accident? If you've been in a car accident, then you know how scary and confusing it can be. It is easy to find yourself mixed up and unsure of the details you need to protect yourself and your passengers. Your auto insurance company will handle a lot of the logistics out of your control. To help you remain organized and focus on what you can control, the following are steps to take when you're in a car accident. Car Accident Kit Just in case the worst ever happens, prepare a car accident kit to keep in your glove box. Your kit should include a pen, a pad of paper, your vehicle's registration, a copy of your auto insurance card, emergency contact numbers and a disposable camera. Also, you should include road flares (available from many auto part stores) or 'light sticks' that can be used at night to warn drivers of the accident. Small reflective road signs are also available that can be placed several hundred feet before and after the accident to make other drivers know they have to slow down or avoid the area. Stay Calm Car accidents can happen quickly. That is why it is important to stay calm, collect your thoughts and evaluate the situation at hand. Staying calm will not only help you remember the details of the accident, but it will also help keep all parties involved focused on the accident. Make Sure No One is Hurt Check for injuries to yourself, your passengers and the other parties involved. Do not move any injured people; instead call 911 for medical assistance. Move Your Car In the case of a minor impact or fender bender, you should pull over into a shoulder, taking your vehicles out of the main stream of traffic. However, if the accident is more serious, do not move any vehicles. Instead, set down flares, warning triangles, light sticks or other such items to alert both oncoming and following traffic. Set these warning signs up both ahead and behind the incident, and if the accident occurred near a bend in the road, set up the warnings on either side of the bend. Call the Police No matter how minor of an accident, call 911 to report the incident. If the police are unable to come to the scene, make sure to exchange the following information with all parties involved including;
File a Report In the event that the police are not able to respond to your call, you'll need to go to the nearest police station and file an accident report. This report will also help your auto insurance company during the claims process. Document the Accident Use your disposable camera from your car accident kit to photograph the cars involved, the position of the cars and any damage done to the vehicles. If you don't have your camera available, make sure to write down detailed notes of the accident for your auto insurance company. Know What to Say and Not Say While at the scene, do not tell the other drivers or the police officer that you think the car accident was your fault and don't discuss the specifics of the accident with anyone other than the police officer or your auto insurance company agent. In addition, do not accept any monetary compensation from the other driver; your auto insurance agency will take care of reimbursing you for the damage. Call Your Auto Insurance Company Immediately As soon as you can, report the car accident to your auto insurance company. To help expedite the call, make sure to have the following information in front of you,
Know What Your Car Insurance Policy Covers Depending on the damage to your car, you may need to rent a car while your vehicle is in the repair shop. If part of your car insurance coverage, your auto insurance company will reimburse you for the use of the rental car. However, if rental coverage is not part of your auto insurance policy, then you will be responsible for the cost of the rental car - a hard lesson to learn after you've been involved in a car accident. Your best option is to do your homework first and find out if rental coverage is part of your policy and if not, call your auto insurance agent or company and request to have it added. To assist you with your research, we at Golden Insurance Services can help you compare the rates of several auto insurance companies - helping you save time and money on your auto insurance. Make your auto insurance dollar Work for you: To get the most value out of the money you spend on auto insurance, it may be a good idea to choose the highest liability and deductible levels you can comfortably afford. Why? Remember, you buy auto insurance to help you if something bad happens. Higher limits mean that there's more financial help available to you if you get into an accident. That's why higher limits are generally better than the minimum required in many states. Unsure how to pay for higher limits? Higher deductibles help you save money on your regular auto insurance premium. When you choose a deductible, think about which you'd prefer -- paying more now or paying more later if you ever need to file an auto insurance claim. A higher deductible will lower your auto insurance premium, but you'll have to pay that higher amount if you have to file a claim. When you select a lower deductible, it's just the opposite.
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