If you’re in an accident, it’s important that you follow the right steps. You want to make sure that you get the claim taken care of in the correct way. This ensures that you aren’t looked at for insurance fraud and have a successful run through the MAIF car insurance process. Roadway, Inc. discusses what you should do when you’re reporting a car accident.
Always Call the Police
In Maryland, reporting a minor accident isn’t technically required. However, it’s something we would recommend you do for any accident. Your adrenaline can get pumping when something like this happens, and you never know if you’ll discover a personal injury down the road. Having an official record of the accident can also be helpful if you have issues with the other party.
An official account will be on the record and both parties involved in the accident will get taken down. You want to make sure that you get your side told. If there are witnesses to the incident, try to get them to go on record as well.
Never Admit Fault
Leave the investigation to the police and insurance companies. They’ll examine the factors and what happened in the situation to make that determination. You don’t want to immediately assume fault and get everything brought on you. Your memory may not be the clearest while you’re shaken up and the evidence on the cars could tell a different story.
Document Everything
Again, you don’t want to trust your memory of the situation. Write down what you remember of what happened. But, more importantly, utilize your cell phone camera. It’s almost an anomaly to not have a cell phone camera these days. Take pictures from all angles of both cars. Zoom in on the damage to get detailed pictures of it. Don’t forget the weather, road debris, or any other circumstances that may have impacted the incident.
As you’re documenting, make sure you get the information of any witnesses around. If they’re willing, have them tell you what they saw or write down their story. This can help with the insurance investigation if there is one.
Exchange Info With the Other Party
By law, you have to exchange contact and insurance information with the other party involved in the accident. Make sure that includes their license plate number, driver’s license number, and the make and model of the car. Get the contact information of any witnesses as well.
Reporting an Accident with MAIF Car Insurance
While you hopefully won’t need to use this information, it is important to know in the event of an accident. To get a quote with MAIF car insurance, call us today or contact us online!