What to do if you have a car accident

ShareThis

With summer driving season approaching --if anyone is still planning to travel with gasoline at $4 a gallon -- it's time to make sure you know what to do if you are involved in a car accident.The National Association of Insurance Commissioners reminds drivers before they leave home to make sure they have proof of insurance, including the name and contact information for their agent and insurer, in their car. Other good things to tuck in the glove box: a disposable camera and a list of tips on what to do if you get in an accident. Many insurance companies provide lists. Here are answers to common questions about what to do if you get in a wreck.Q: What should I do first?A: Stop at the closest safe location. You could be fined or jailed for leaving the scene.Help or get help for anyone who is injured. If you are not trained in first aid, do not move someone who is badly hurt, unless not moving them could cause greater injury.Exchange information with the other driver.Q: What information should I collect at the scene?A: Both drivers should exchange names, addresses, phone numbers, driver's license numbers, vehicle identification and license plate numbers, contact information for their insurance companies and policy numbers. Check the car's registration and get the owner's name and contact information if it's not the driver.Get names, addresses and phone numbers of witnesses and passengers. If you have a camera, take photographs of damage and the accident scene. If you don't have a camera, make a sketch. Note the time, date and location of the accident.Q: Should I call the police?A: If someone is hurt, you must call the police and wait for them to arrive. "If you want an official determination of fault, you have to call a police officer," says Tom Marshall, a spokesman for the California Highway Patrol. If the police agree to show up for a non-injury accident, they will write a report and send it to the Department of Motor Vehicles. It's OK to call 911 for injury or non-injury accidents.Q: Should I admit I'm at fault?A: No. Answer questions factually, but let your insurance company or the police decide.Q: What if I hit a parked car?A: Try to find the owner. If you can't, you must leave a note with your name and address, a description of the accident and the name and address of your car's owner, if it's not you. Quickly notify the local police or the state highway patrol.Q: What should I do after an accident?A: If an accident causes injury, death or more than $750 in damage to either car or other property, both parties must report it to the DMV within 10 days, even if a police officer files a report.Also contact your insurance company. Most polices require you to report all accidents in a timely fashion, says Robert Hunter, director of insurance for the Consumer Federation of America. Many drivers don't report small accidents, especially if the damage barely exceeds the deductible. "The only downside is, if someone later develops an injury," the insurer could refuse to pay if you didn't report the accident, Hunter says.Q: How will the insurance companies determine fault?A: They will use statements, photos, police reports and other evidence. They might decide both parties are partly at fault. If you are deemed at fault, you will pay the deductible for repairs to your car. Your insurer will pay or reimburse the other driver for his or her deductible, State Farm Auto Insurance spokesman Bill Sirola says.Q: What should I do if I'm in a wreck on vacation?A: If your car is disabled, most policies will pay for a rental car. If you need to stay overnight while your car is fixed or miss a day of work, keep good records, Hunter says. If you are not at fault, those expenses become part of your claim.Q: What can I do if I'm having problems with my insurance company?A: Contact your state's consumer division.(E-mail Kathleen Pender at kpender(at)sfchronicle.com. For more stories visit scrippsnews.com)