Hopefully, nobody is hurt. Call 911 and report the collision.
Try to make sure other drivers approaching the collision have time to see it and take evasive action. Activate hazard lights in your car. If you have cones and flares, this is the time to use them to warn others of the road obstruction. Get yourself and any uninjured people to a safe spot out of the road as soon as possible.
Identify yourself to the other driver. Exchange driver's licenses, car registrations, and insurance verification forms. Take pictures of the other person's documents and his vehicle license plate, or write down the information.
Wait for the police. Once the police arrive, they will seek to interview both drivers.
When it's your turn to talk to the officer, she will want to see the licenses, registrations, and insurance verification forms. Have them with you and ready. Be professional.
The police officer will create a police report for the collision called the FR-10. A copy of this document is given to both drivers. The FR-10 may indicate who caused the collision (in the officer's judgment) and have a lot of important data on it. Review the FR-10 form and notify the police officer if you see any mistakes. If you are a passenger, take a picture of this document. It has important information on it.
Report the collision to your insurance company as soon as possible. This is true whether the other person causes the accident or you do.
If you are not in your own vehicle, you need to tell the owner of the car about the accident so he can report it to his insurance company. Also, the owner is required to verify his automobile insurance to DMV within 15 days of the collision. Normally, the owner's insurance company will do this for him.
See this post about how to preserve evidence related to the collision: Your Mom Wrecked! Use Your Smart Phone To Create Powerful Forensic Evidence for Her South Carolina Case
No comments:
Post a Comment