Your Car Insurance Collision Checklist

By Author: Andries Malan
Total Articles: 15
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Hopefully you will never be involved in a car accident, but the harsh truth is that hundreds of people are everyday. Even the best and most experienced drivers have found themselves in a fender bender.

In the incidence that you are involved in a collision, it is wise to know exactly what you need to do to ensure a smooth, problem-free claim procedure.

Immediately after the collision, try to stay calm and stop the car if it is not stopped already. If your vehicle is still drivable, stop it on the side of the road where it will not block other cars from passing along the road. The safety and well-being of your passengers and yourself is far more important than the value of the car. Check to make sure that no one is hurt, and if someone is, phone an ambulance immediately before doing anything else. You must take the relevant steps to ensure that your vehicle will not be damaged further. If they are still working, put your hazards on. Hopefully you will have flares so that you can warn oncoming traffic of the obstruction up ahead.

If necessary, the next step you need to take is to phone the police. You will ...
... need to tell them your location, if there have been any injuries sustained, and how many people are involved in the accident.

One of the best things you can arm yourself with is to take as many notes as possible on the accident scene. You may be a bit shaken, but this is the only way to ensure you have the easiest claim procedure possible. Get your hands on a piece of paper and jot down the time, date and location of the accident. It will be extremely beneficial for you if you can draw a picture of how the accident occurred. A lot of car insurance companies will actually request a drawing of the accident, so if you have managed to draw one when the incident was fresh in your mind, you will be prepared. You must also write down the damage sustained to your car, and the damage inflicted on the other motor vehicles involved in the collision.

The most important information that you can attain in these circumstances are the names, addresses and contact information of all the people involved in the accident. Ensure that you get the drivers license numbers of any valid license holders involved in the accident, as well as insurance details and policy numbers. The names and badge numbers of any police officers on the scene could also be useful in your claim procedure. The phone numbers and names of any witnesses on the scene is vital information that you need to acquire.

The next thing you must do is phone your insurance company. You must inform them of the exact details of your accident and where they recommend your car be towed to. Your car insurance company will help you take the next steps you need to in order to file a successful claim.
Andries Malan is the owner of http://www.quantisure.co.za, a website that offers comparitive quotes for the cost conscious car insurance shopper in South Africa.