Car Accidents, What To Do Next?

By David Vleestra


Car accidents are inevitable. No matter how careful you may be, there will be times when you'll really face "bad luck" and meet this situation. Of course it's good to have knowledge about safety precautions but we also have to know something if things go from bad to worse.

About 6.3 million car accidents happened and reported in the year 1998 in United States alone. About a third of these cases ended with injuries. In 2001, about 42, 000 cases met a deadly ending in the roads of America. Therefore, you can presume that anytime, you can experience these things because whether you like it or not, it's real.

The next issue that we should talk about is on what we're going to do next. After car accidents, what should we do next? What are the things that we should remember to at least pull down the damage that it may create? Thanks to the Consumer Protection Association of America, we now have these pointers.

These tips according to the president of the association Dr. Ray Bruce can make a huge difference from your protection as well as your passengers up to the point you will have a car of your own while yours is for repair in the shop. These are the pointers that you should remember upon meeting this bad situation.

An important step would be to keep an emergency kit in your car. This kit should contain important tools like cellphones, flashlights, pens and papers, cameras, medical information and contact numbers which will be used for emergency purposes. You can make this kit for yourself but if you don't have the time and the luxury to do so, for less than $20, you can buy one that's already pre-made. You can look for this in the internet.

Also, you should remember to prioritize safety. If you meet an accident, put your car on the side of the road but not far from the accident area. It will minimize the effects of the accidents. However, if you can't move it, make sure your seatbelts are strapped for additional safety at least until help comes. The next method would be turning on your hazard lights; you can also set out cones or start the flares and adding warning triangles as long as you have them in your car.

Another important move you can do is the exchange of information right after facing an accident. Take the information like the name, address, phone number, insurance company, policy number, driver's license number, license plate number and other important stuff. If in case the driver's name isn't the name of the insured, know the relationship and take these notes again. Another would be to write down a description of the car which includes the color, the year and the model name. You should also indicate the place where the accident happened how it all took place. Do these things by being polite.

Take some photographs of the accident. This way, you will have a visual image of the extent of the damage that was made. But don't just note one part of the accident. It's necessary to take these things in context for future references. It's also wise to get a witness for support later on should any disputes arise. You should get their contact information.

It's also important to lastly be familiar of your insurance coverage. This way, the entire process will become easier. Don't ever wait until the accidents have happened before you learn your insurance coverage. Accidents can happen anytime but if you are ready for them, it won't take much damage to you.




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