You are involved in a fender-bender. No one appears to be injured. The damage to the vehicles is not severe. What should you do next?
- Don’t drive away, even if it appears that there is no damage. It is against the law to leave the scene of a property damage or injury accident without providing information.
- Do call the police. The officer will complete an accident report that may be vital in determining what occurred and who was at fault.
- Do move out of traffic and obtain insurance information from the other driver.
- Do take pictures of the vehicles and the scene of the accident.
- Don’t assume that no one is injured. Even if the collision is low-impact, it can cause injuries, which sometimes do not cause symptoms for several days. If you are concerned about injuries or suspect you are injured, you should get medical attention. Most people have medical payment coverage with their automobile insurance which will pay for medical expenses, regardless of who was at fault.
- Do report the accident to your insurance carrier.
- Don’t sign any releases without being certain about fault and the full extent of your injuries.
- Don’t accept cash for payment of repairs. Sometimes there is hidden damage to vehicles. The damage could be more extensive than you think.
