We are proud to say that we protect our customers if situations take a turn for the worst, but as your trusted providers in all things insurance, we want to give you the advice you need so that you shouldn’t have to use your insurance. Now, don’t get us wrong – it’s always important to have the protection and coverage you need in case you are faced with a claim, but we want to help our customers avoid claims whenever we can. Additionally, we want to help you stay prepared for the moment a claim hits, because there can be a lot of pressure, nerves, or even trauma impairing your better judgement. If you take the time to stay mentally prepared for these types of situations in advance, then it will be much easier to face them if and when they do hit you. For that reason, we’d like to review what what to do after a car accident this way you can safely handle your situation with a sound mind. Be sure to spread this blog to those you love to help so they understand what to do after a car accident as well.
What to do After a Car Accident
Do you know what you’d think to do the moment you were in an accident? Most of us don’t think about these things, because naturally we don’t like to imagine ourselves in that sort of situation. But, if you take the time to assess how the situation would playout beforehand, you’ll be far more ready to find your solution in a safe and sound manner when the time comes. With that being said, here’s what you should do after you’ve been in a car accident:
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- Safety first. If your accident left you in an unsafe area, the first matter of business is to move to a safe area. It’s best to move your car out of harm’s way when it’s safe to do so. If you can’t move to safety, you should turn your hazard lights on to warn others.
- Stop your car, and get out of the vehicle. Once your car has come to a complete stop, be sure to shift it into park then shut the engine off. Take a moment to catch your breath and observe your surroundings. Always be sure it’s safe to get out of the car before you open the door though.
- Check on others involved in the accident. If there were any other parties involved in the accident, check to see if they are alright. This could include drivers, passengers, or even pedestrians. If someone is injured be sure to mention it when you call 911.
- Contact the police. You may have guessed it based on the previous bit of advice, but yes, the next step is to notify the police of the accident. Even in the event of a minor accident, having a police report filed can be invaluable for you when you have to deal with your auto insurance company later on.
- Gather information on the scene. Try to write down about as much info as possible about your accident, including driver and passenger names, license plate numbers of vehicles involved in the accident, insurance information of all parties involved, makes and models of vehicles involved, contact information for eyewitnesses, location of the accident, and of course the name and badge of any responding police officers.
- Document the accident. Do you have your smartphone handy? If so, take it out for a few photos of the accident scene. You can do this right inside our mobile app as well to make things easier.
- File your insurance claim. We’ll talk more in depth on how you can file claims with our agency in the next section.
Filing an Insurance Claim with our Insurance Agency
It’s always important to consider safety first when thinking about what to do after a car accident. Of course, once that’s handled, it’s imperative that you file a claim. There are three ways you can easily file an insurance claim with our insurance agency. The first is to give us a call at 860-684-5270 and speak to one of our professional agents, who will guide you through the claims process and answer any questions you have along the way. Additionally, you can file claims right on our website at our claims page, and an agent will be in contact with you shortly.
The third and probably the easiest way to file a claim with our agency is to use our mobile app. If you don’t already have our mobile app, you can download it by searching for “Insurance Agent” in the app store, and downloading the app with the blue I. After that, on your first time booting up, you just need to select Paradiso Insurance from the list of nearby insurance agencies. Our app has an entire tab dedicated to filing claims, and it walks you through the entire process, step-by-step. Claims have never been made easier! Additionally, in an emergency situation such as a car accident, you can dial for emergency help, and the app will prompt you on what to do with safety reminders to help you remain calm. Don’t wait until it’s too late, download our app today!
