Accidents happen. But knowing that doesn’t make it any less stressful and upsetting if it happens to you. Knowing what to do can help though.
The moments immediately after an accident can be the most important.
1. Stop
You must stop, even if the accident seems very minor. This is written into the Road Traffic Act 1988. If you don’t stop, you risk making the situation worse for everyone involved. You could also personally face fines or even imprisonment.
When you’ve stopped, make sure you turn the engine off and the hazard lights on.
2. Make sure everyone is safe
If your vehicle is driveable and it’s safe to do so, move it to somewhere safe such as a layby or the side of the road. Unless anyone is injured, remove passengers and pets and take them to a safe place, well away from the road (unless you’re on motorway in which case pets stay in the car).
If you can see anyone who looks like they might be injured, call the emergency services.
3. Exchange details
As a driver, you’re obliged to provide your name, address and the vehicle’s registration to anyone else involved in the accident. This includes any emergency services who are at the scene. If the vehicle belongs to someone else, you need to provide their name and address too.
While you’re giving out your own details, make sure you get contact details for anyone else who was involved in the accident and any witnesses if possible. Use your phone to take photos of the vehicles. Make sure you photograph any damage and areas that look unaffected.
If there are no injuries, there is no legal obligation to provide insurance details. However, it does speed the process up quite significantly! Call your insurance company as soon as you can to provide the initial information.
You’ve done all of that, you’re home and the initial stress has subsided. What now? You let your insurer take care of things for you. After all, this is why you took out insurance. Their job now is to help you after the accident and help you to claim for damage or injuries. We know this because, as insurance brokers, we’re involved in this process. Your insurer will:
- Give you the details of the person handling your claim
- Explain everything you need to know when you make a claim
- Talk you through the process and keep you up-to-date with progress
At Lifesure, we can help you find the right insurance policy for your vehicles. Our friendly team would be happy to chat with you and talk through your needs.
