What You Should Do If You Are Rear Ended In Your Car

Being in a car accident is a scary, life altering experience for some people. The nervousness most drivers experience directly after an accident may cause someone to forget what steps they need to take to resolve the situation. An added consideration, if you get rear ended, is that the driver who hit you may or may not have auto insurance.  

Drivers without auto insurance often try to haggle with you or offer you cash on the spot as an incentive for you to not make a claim. However, it is important to remember that you should always report a rear-end collision to your insurance company and never take a bribe.

Remain calm

After a car accident, even at low speeds, you may feel jittery or confused.  Before getting out of your vehicle to assess the damage, it is advisable to take a few deep breaths in and breathe out slowly to calm yourself down, and to give yourself a few seconds to remember the steps you need to take to handle the situation.

Call the authorities and document the crash

Before reporting the accident to your insurance company, call 911 for assistance.  The last thing you want to do is be confrontational with a disgruntled or drunk driver, so it’s best to get the police involved.  If there are any injuries or damage to your car, take pictures and write down the details of the crash.  It's best to write down the details immediately while they're still fresh in your memory. 

If the car at-fault is leaving the scene while you’re on the phone with the 911 dispatcher, quickly give them the license plates number.  This way the number is documented in case you did not have time to write it down.  When talking to the dispatcher, give them as many details as possible which should include:

• The road the accident happened on
• How it happened
• If there are any immediate emergencies
• Any nearby mile markers

Getting the other drivers information

Once you exit your car, ask for the other driver’s drivers license and take down the number, address and phone number.  At the same time, write down the driver's license plate number and the make and model of their car (as well as the color).

Call your insurance company

Notify your insurance company of any rear-end collision you're involved in, whether the damage to your car is visible or not. It is quite possible to have extensive internal damage that may not affect your driving for a day or two after the accident.  Any injuries you have may also not be apparent for hours or days after the accident, so always report collisions.  

If you have a portable camera, or a camera phone, snap a picture of the accident and any damage to your car or the other vehicle.  You may need to submit this information along with your claim to the insurance company.

Last but not least, if you suffer an injury, you may want to find an accident lawyer who specializes in rear-end collisions. 

For more information on your Miami Auto Insurance or collision cover, give Allstar Direct Insurance & Financial Services a call at 855-754-7414. We are there to find you the right service at the right price, and will be there for you in the times of an accident.