8 Steps to Take Before and After a Vehicle Accident
1) Take the right items with you.
One of the most important things you can do before an accident occurs is to make sure you have the right materials in your vehicle. Regardless of where you’re going, some key emergency preparedness items include:
- Flashlight and batteries
- Road flares
- First aid kit
- Insurance paperwork
- Fully charged cell phones
While we hope you do not need these items, they are vital for any emergency situation you may encounter in your vehicle.
2) Assess the situation.
When an accident occurs, drivers must assess the situation. First, make sure all of your passengers are healthy and uninjured. If you are on the road amidst traffic, try to move over to the side of the road if possible. Make sure there is no traffic between you and the side of the road. take a breath and consider the next steps. If the accident has occurred at night, or in an area where invisibility might be poor, use your flashers and put out road flares safely. Assess the other vehicles to determine if there are injuries that require medical attention.
3) Contact first responders.
If there are any injuries or any suspicion of injuries, contact 911. There is no reason not to have the help you need on-site. Even if the accident is minor, it is still important to contact the police. You will likely need a police report for insurance purposes, and officers will be able to guide you through what you need to know.
4) Take photos.
It is common to have cameras on our phones now, so take a lot of pictures. These will prove vital when it is time to make insurance claims. Make sure you upload your photos to a computer hard drive or cloud service.
5) Keep up with paperwork.
Create a file with every piece of paperwork, photograph, statement, video, and anything else you will need in order to make claims with your insurance company.
6) Contact your insurance company.
As soon as possible after the accident, contact your insurance company. You will need to provide as much information as possible.
7) Go to the doctor.
Even with minor accidents, injuries are common. Some injuries go unnoticed and can lead to prolonged issues. Make sure you visit your physician after a car crash.
8) Choose your trusted collision repair shop.
When it is time to make repairs to your vehicle, most likely you can choose your trusted repair shop. You want to make sure that the repairs made to your vehicle are quality. This is not a time to cut corners. Be sure to take your vehicle to a collision repair shop that has experience with fixing vehicles that have been in accidents.
SRM Paintwerks Is your trust or repair shop in Elkin, Jonesville, Surry County, and the foothills. If you have been in an automobile accident, or your vehicle has body damage, we are here to help. We have years of experience making auto body repairs after car accidents. If you have been in an automobile accident, or your vehicle has body damage, we are here to help. Contact SRM today for more information or bring your damaged vehicle to us.