6 Steps to Take Immediately Following a Pittsburgh Auto Accident
I called my daughter recently and when she answered the phone she said “Hold on, I just got into an accident and the other guy is looking at me. I don’t know what to do.” I tried to give her quick instructions, but she hung up after a few seconds. I had gone over this when she first learned to drive, but obviously she needed a refresher.
There are 6 Steps to take immediately following a Pittsburgh Auto Accident that will help the claim go smoother for everyone involved.
1. Call 911 – You must call the police if anyone is injured or one of the vehicles is disabled. If there are injuries, immediately seek medical attention. If you feel you are not at fault, it will be helpful to have a police report filed to establish the cause of the accident.
2. Don't admit fault - You may be the nicest person in the world and the accident may be your fault, but just don't say anything. Ultimately, the insurance companies will do their investigations, record their statements, and determine fault. Your admission of fault may eliminate or mitigate a percentage of fault the other party might have in the accident.
3. Only exchange the required information - People exchange way to much information after an accident. Under Pennsylvania Auto Insurance law, you are required to share the following information:
- Name, address and contact details.
- Driver license number.
- License plate number of the vehicles involved.
- Auto insurance information for the vehicle involved.
Never let the other party take a picture of your drivers’ license. This could be used for fraudulent purposes.
4. If the other person tries to intimidate or harass you to share information beyond what is required, then immediately call the police. This is an exchange. You should get and give the same information. If the other party won’t share this information or doesn't have insurance then you should immediately involve the police.
5. Other information that will be helpful to collect.
- Use your cell phone to take pictures of the scene (if possible) and notes.
- If there are witnesses, get their names and contact information;
- If an officer comes to the scene, his or her name, badge number, police report number, and contact information.
- Write down the date, time, and location.
6. Call your insurance agent or insurance company - When you get home, call the insurance company. If you think the other party is At-Fault (sometimes this is very obvious, other times not so much) then call their insurance company directly to initiate a claim. This will save you from having to come out of pocket for your Collision deductible and waiting for reimbursement from the other company if you file the claim directly with your insurance company.
Following these 6 Steps Immediately After an Pittsburgh Auto Accident will help the claims process go smoother and quicker for you and result in higher satisfaction of the whole process.
About the Author:
Dan Smith is a licensed independent insurance agent located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He owns James L Smith Insurance and has been serving the insurance needs of customers in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania for over 30 years. He is a graduate of the College of Insurance and the University of Virginia. You can get in touch with him by calling 412-531-3111 x112 or by emailing him at dan.smith@jlsins.net. Find out more about Dan Smith by visiting his website at www.insurancepittsburgh.co
Pittsburgh Auto Insurance
Pittsburgh Insurance Claims