Your Post Collision Survival Guide

Having a collision can be a very traumatic and frightening experience. It is easy to go into shock or dissolve into a mound of tears once you have exited the vehicle. You will be lucky to find yourself unscathed, even though you will be shaken up. After an accident there will be the wailing of the sirens of ambulances and the police, there will be lights flashing, and there will also be tow trucks descending on the scene.

It is important to at first take a few breaths and stay calm. Panicking will not help you or anyone else; it will only make matters worse. First of all, if anyone is injured, you need to have them attended to by the paramedics. You should allow yourself to be checked over by the paramedics too! If you find that you are not calm enough, you should call a partner or friend who will be able to help calm you down and manage the situation.

The first and most important thing is that you do not leave the scene of the accident! A lot of people may feel so frightened that they just want to distance themselves from the collision scene. The only circumstance where you are allowed to leave the accident scene is if you are gravely injured and need to be taken away to hospital in an ambulance.

Do not forget to take all the necessary information down of the other party. This includes their names, license plate number, address and contact details. If there are any police officers on the scene, you need to take down their phone number and their badge numbers, as well as finding out which station they are from. If you have a camera on you, or a phone which takes photos, then it is imperative that you capture as many images of the accident scene as possible.

An important thing to keep in mind is to NOT admit fault to the accident to ANYONE. You can explain the details of the accident to any police officer dealing with the case on the scene, but do not admit any liability in your explanation. Your motor insurance company will deal with the matter of blame when it comes to processing your claim.

You will have a lot of tow truck operators on the scene asking if they can tow your vehicle. You must not give in to the first operator who offers to tow your vehicle. Remember that most car insurance companies will have authorised towing companies who will retrieve your vehicle and take it to the registered repair place. If you allow an unauthorised tow truck to take your vehicle, your insurance company will be within their right not to pay out. It is best to call your insurance company and find out who will be allowed to tow your vehicle. When your vehicle is being towed, remember to obtain a full quote detailing where the vehicle is going, and with a stipulation on the quote that they are working in conjunction with your insurance company.