Auto accident checklist: Tips on what to do following a car accident

Hopefully you will never be involved in an auto accident or need to file an insurance claim. Even the most careful and skilled drivers, however, can easily find themselves in the middle of a crash. Would you know what to do? Knowledge of what to do after the car accident can help make the insurance claims process easier and smoother so that you are back on the road faster.
If you are in an auto accident:

1.Try to stay calm, stop your vehicle and check for injuries. The life and health of you, your passengers and the other people involved in the accident is far more important than the vehicle itself.

2.If required, call the police and let them know of the accident, your location, how many people are involved, whether there are injuries and the types of injuries.

3.You may wish to take reasonable steps to protect yourself, and your vehicle, from further damage. Where possible and if legal, move the autos to the side of the road and turn on your hazards as soon as it is safe. If you have flares, you may wish to use them to warn oncoming traffic and to prevent additional crashes.

4.Taking lots of notes is a good practice, like:

the date, time and location of the accident
how the accident occurred sometimes a drawing is worth a thousand words and can help enhance what youve noted
the type and location of damage to your car
the type and location of damage to the other cars or property involved
the names, addresses and contact information of all drivers and passengers involved in the accident
drivers license numbers and all the information on the licenses
insurance identifications including the name of the insurance company and policy number
the names, addresses and contact information of witnesses
the names and badge numbers of police officers or other first response personnel

(Being able to take notes is important so keep a pen and pad in your glove compartment, just in case.)

5.You may wish to ask the police officer when and where you can get a copy of the accident report. Theres a good chance youll need it when you submit your insurance claim to your insurer.

6.Its usually a good idea to call your insurance company right away and report the accident because the sooner they know about the crash the quicker they can start working to resolve your insurance claim. As well, theyll be able to explain the next steps, like where to have the car towed if necessary and arrange for an adjuster to come out and appraise the damage before any repair work is done.

7.There are a couple of donts you might want to consider like dont discuss the financial limits of your auto insurance policy and avoid discussing the responsibility for the accident or circumstances of the accident with anyone other than the police or a representative of your insurance company.

Auto accidents take a significant toll on everyone involved. But, if you stay calm, make safety your priority and follow the above tips, you will get through the ordeal of being in an accident and submitting an insurance claim.

Besides botching up your body (and sometimes your love life) what else does the injury mean to you? It means a ton of financial expenses, including repairing your motor vehicle, lost wages, a shock to your life style, a tremendous inconvenience and short or long periods of pain and discomfort – - all of it a direct result of your injuries.

Plus, there’s a long list of possible medical expenses. For example: DoctorChiropractor, Prescription Drug Bills, Ambulance, Emergency Room Care, Hospital or Clinic, Specialist andor Dentist, Laboratory Fees and Services, Diagnostic Tests, X-Rays and (CT) Scan, Prosthetic Appliances or Surgical Apparatus (Canes & Crutches), Physical Therapy, Registered andor Practical Nurse Fees, Gauze and Tape, Ace Bandages all of which the insurance company must pay whether they like it or not!

Also, Creams, Lotions, Ointments, Balms and Salves, etc. (Should the lady in your life apply any of these to your aching body I’m sorry to tell you this but her labor is not an expense you can claim).

YOU MUST BE COMPENSATED BY THE INSURANCE COMPANY FOR ALL OF THE ABOVE: It’s true that a very small percentage of motor vehicle accidents cause big, serious injuries but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be paid big, serious bucks!

EXAMINATION BY THE INSURANCE COMPANY DOCTOR: Claims Adjuster Henry Hard-Nose of Rock Solid Insurance will usually try to pull a fast one insisting he wants you to be examined by the physician of his choice, the local medical con-man of all time, Dr. Nuttin’ Wrong. Beware of such a request. Doctors assigned by the insurance company are notorious for stating, in the report they’re paid big bucks to execute, “There is no objective basis”, for your complaints.

You don’t have to agree to be examined by Dr. Nuttin’ Wrong. Rock Solid Insurance cannot insist that you submit to their doctor for an examination unless your claim actually becomes a formal court case. So, hold your ground until your attending physician, Ole Doc Comfort, has released you. After that it’s okay to agree to be examined because by then it’s too late! So much time will have passed it will be impossible for Dr. Wrong to minimize the pain, discomfort and suffering your injury has caused you.

WHAT TO DO ABOUT YOUR MEDICAL BILLS IF YOU MAKE THE MISTAKE OF OBTAINING LEGAL HELP FROM ATTORNEY I. M. SHARP: Should yours be a case in which there’s no question that you’re not at fault, make it clear to the Legal Beagle you’ve hired, I. M. Sharp, Esquire, that you expect his Contingency Fee will not apply to that which he recovers for the damage to your car, your medical bills, andor your payment for lost wages. You tell him these are damages you would have collected ANYWAY – - whether he was handling the case for you or if you settled it yourself. Don’t you dare be foolish enough to hand him a huge percentage of that which you were going to be paid by the insurance company, whether Attorney Sharp handled the case or not. To do so is the height of financial stupidity!

YOUR BODILY INJURIES: It’s a proven fact that the vast majority of motor vehicle accidents cause minor injuries. While bodily injury pain can be specifically measured the limits of what you can endure cannot. Each of us has a different “pain threshold” – - that is, the point at which we begin to feel physical pain. The amount and quality of pain you feel is not strictly dependent on the bodily injury inflicted. It has a lot to do with your previous experience, how well you remember it, and your ability to understand what caused you that pain, and its consequences, the last time around.

Stress and strain magnify physical pain plus personal anxiety will greatly increase it. There are also emotional reactions to the injury. A bodily injury is bound to cause some degree of mental distress. The duration and severity that depends on a number of factors: The type of individual you are, the ultimate consequences of the injury you sustained, and the life stresses or strengths you’re experiencing at the time of your injury. (If you can’t stand her and she takes a powder youll handle your pain better if you really dig the chick and she dumped you for your best friend)!

When it comes to muscle injuries one thing you must keep in mind is that when one part of the body demands rest (by sending out a pain signal) and – - without your even realizing it – - you help your body by placing a new burden on other muscles. It gets complicated because although those muscles may not have been directly injured in the accident, they can still get buggered up and produce a lot of pain because of their new role.

DISCLAIMER: The only purpose of this claim tip is to help people understand the motor vehicle motor vehicle accident claim process. Neither Dan Baldyga nor (name the magazinenewsletter andor web site) make any guarantee of any kind whatsoever; NOR do they purport to engage in rendering any professional or legal service, NOR to substitute for a lawyer, an insurance adjuster, or claims consultant, or the like. Where such professional help is desired it is the INDIVIDUALS RESPONSIBILITY to obtain said services.