STEP 1
Stop the car. You don't want to make an accident worse by leaving the scene. Aside from it being morally and ethically wrong, leaving the scene of an accident is a crime.
STEP 2
Make sure everyone is okay and that no one has suffered an injury.
STEP 3
Call the police. Examples of when the police are necessary:
- Damage to any vehicle is over $2,500.00 (these days almost any damage would be above this threshold);
- Any vehicle is towed from the scene;
- An injury or death resulted from the accident; or,
- Damage to anyone's property other than a vehicle involved in the accident is more than $2,500.00.
STEP 4
Exchange information. You should exchange the following information:
- Name;
- Address;
- Phone number;
- Insurance company and policy number;
- Driver's license number;
- License plate number; and,
- Make, model and color of the car.
If there were passengers in the car you should get their names and contact information as well.
STEP 5
Photograph and document the accident. Use your cell phone camera to take photos of the overall scene of the accident from each side, of the overall context of the accident, and the damage to each vehicle.
STEP 6
If you are injured you should immediately go to the emergency room if your injuries warrant it, or make an appointment as soon as possible with your primary care physician or an urgent care facility.
STEP 7
Call your insurance company. You will need to tell them what happened and if you, and/or any of your passengers, were hurt in the crash. This will get the claims process started and will likely speed up the time it takes to begin receiving any insurance benefits.