If I am in a car accident, do I call their insurance or mine?
If you are in a car accident, you should call your car insurance company, even if the other driver was at fault. Compare quotes after a wreck using our free tool below and save.
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Joel Ohman
Founder & CFP®
Joel Ohman is the CEO of a private equity backed digital media company. He is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, author, angel investor, and serial entrepreneur who loves creating new things, whether books or businesses. He has also previously served as the founder and resident CFP® of a national insurance agency, Real Time Health Quotes. He has an MBA from the University of South Florida. Jo...
Founder & CFP®
UPDATED: Jul 9, 2023
It’s all about you. We want to help you make the right coverage choices.
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Our partnerships don’t influence our content. Our opinions are our own. To compare quotes from top car companies please enter your ZIP code above to use the free quote tool. The more quotes you compare, the more chances to save.
Editorial Guidelines: We are a free online resource for anyone interested in learning more about auto insurance. Our goal is to be an objective, third-party resource for everything auto insurance related. We update our site regularly, and all content is reviewed by auto insurance experts.
UPDATED: Jul 9, 2023
It’s all about you. We want to help you make the right coverage choices.
Advertiser Disclosure: We strive to help you make confident car insurance decisions. Comparison shopping should be easy. We are not affiliated with any one car insurance company and cannot guarantee quotes from any single company.
Our partnerships don’t influence our content. Our opinions are our own. To compare quotes from top car companies please enter your ZIP code above to use the free quote tool. The more quotes you compare, the more chances to save.
On This Page
- If you are in an accident, notify your own insurance company
- Call the police if there are injuries or extensive property damage, or if your car is impeding traffic
- Get the insurance and contact information of any other drivers involved
- Take pictures of the accident scene and get contact information from witnesses if you can
Being in a car accident is frightening, and many people don’t know what to do. Most people panic and forget to record the details leading up to the accident.
Here’s what you should know if you are in a car accident.
If you need lower car insurance rates after an accident, enter your zip in the box above and we’ll send you quotes from the top companies near you!
Assess the Scene
If you can get out of your car safely, do so. If you are in the middle of an intersection or there is traffic passing you, do not get out. Call the police, switch on your hazard lights and wait until help arrives.
Determine if anyone in your car has been injured. If you can, find out if there are any injuries to anyone in your car, the other vehicle, or anyone who may have been nearby the accident.
Do not attempt to move anyone who appears to have serious injuries. Wait for an ambulance to arrive.
If you can safely do so, move your car out of the roadway so you don’t disrupt traffic. Any other drivers involved in the accident should do the same.
Make sure everyone knows that you’re just moving out of the way of traffic so they don’t think you’re leaving the scene.
Don’t do this if there is significant damage to your car. If you cannot move out of the way of traffic, call the police.
If the accident has caused significant damage to property, including the vehicles and any surrounding property like fences, trees, buildings and so forth, call the police.
If you are not sure whether you should call the police or not, call. The dispatcher can help you determine if help is needed.
If you can, take pictures of the accident scene. Make notes about what happened. Your memory will begin to fade almost immediately, so write down as much as you can at the scene.
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Exchange Contact Information
Give the other driver(s) your name, phone number and the name of your insurance company.
You do not need to give them your address, your driver’s license number or your registration, and doing so could put you at risk for identity theft.
Collect the name, phone number and insurance company name from each other driver involved in the accident.
When talking to the other driver(s), stay calm and reasonable. Do not blame anyone else, but don’t admit that you were responsible, either. The insurance companies will determine who is at fault.
If there were witnesses to the accident, get their names and phone numbers as well. Encourage them to stay at the scene until the police arrive so they can give statements.
Call Your Insurance Company
You will need to provide as much detail about the accident as you can. Do not try to determine whose fault the accident was. Simply give your insurance company the facts and any supporting documentation you have, like pictures or the police report.
Even if the other driver was clearly at fault, do not contact their insurance company. Your insurance company will do that.
The other driver’s insurance company may call you and interview you about what happened. Give them the facts of the accident, but don’t accept or place blame.
If the other driver is uninsured, let your insurance company know this.
While most insurance policies cover damage to the other person’s vehicle if you don’t live in a no-fault state, your policy may provide coverage for damage caused by uninsured drivers.
Special Circumstances
If you are driving someone else’s car, notify the car’s owner. Their insurance should cover the damage since insurance is placed on the car, not the driver.
If another party is involved in the accident and they leave the scene before you can get their information, call the police.
Write down as much information as you can about their vehicle, like the make, model, and color of the car. If you can remember all or part of the license plate number, write that down as well.
If the police are not called, you may want to file an incident report with the local police department anyway. This may help your insurance company to evaluate your claim.
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After Your Claim is Settled
If you have an accident, and particularly if the accident is determined to be your fault, your insurance premium may go up.
If that happens, it may be a good idea to compare policies before your next renewal to make sure you are getting the best possible price for your insurance.
Any insurance company you purchase coverage from will know that you had the accident, but shopping around for the best price will help keep your costs as low as possible.
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Case Studies: Car Accidents and Insurance Claims
Case Study 1: John’s Car Accident
John was involved in a car accident where another driver rear-ended his vehicle at a red light. Despite the other driver being at fault, John knew he should call his own car insurance company. He contacted his insurance provider and provided all the necessary details about the accident, including photos and the police report.
Case Study 2: Sarah’s Hit-and-Run Incident
Sarah was a victim of a hit-and-run accident. The other driver fled the scene before she could gather their information. She immediately contacted the police to report the incident and filed an incident report with the local police department. Sarah then called her insurance company to inform them about the situation. They guided her through the claims process and helped her understand the options available to her.
Case Study 3: David’s Car Damage by an Uninsured Driver
David’s car was damaged by an uninsured driver. He promptly contacted his insurance company to report the incident and notified them about the uninsured status of the at-fault driver. His insurance policy included coverage for damage caused by uninsured drivers, so David’s insurance company took care of the repairs to his vehicle.
Frequently Asked Questions
If airbags deploy, is my car totaled?
Not necessarily. Whether your car is considered totaled after airbag deployment depends on various factors, such as the severity of the accident, the extent of damage beyond the airbag deployment, and the overall value of your vehicle. Airbag deployment alone does not determine whether a car is totaled.
What does it mean if my car is considered “totaled” by the insurance company?
When an insurance company determines that a car is totaled, it means that the cost of repairing the vehicle exceeds a certain percentage (usually around 70-75%) of its actual cash value (ACV) or market value. In such cases, the insurance company may choose to declare the vehicle a total loss and provide a settlement based on the ACV.
How is the actual cash value (ACV) of my car determined?
The ACV of your car is typically calculated by considering various factors, including the make, model, year, mileage, condition, and market value of similar vehicles in your area. Insurance companies may also take into account factors such as any pre-existing damage or modifications when determining the ACV.
If my car is totaled, what happens next?
If your car is declared a total loss, your insurance company will usually offer you a settlement amount based on the ACV of your vehicle minus any deductible. You have the option to accept the settlement, which means you would surrender ownership of the car to the insurance company, or negotiate with the company if you believe the settlement amount is inadequate.
Can I keep my car if it’s declared totaled?
In some cases, insurance companies allow you to keep your car even if it’s declared totaled. However, the settlement amount may be reduced by the salvage value of the vehicle. You would need to discuss the specifics with your insurance company to determine if this option is available to you.
Free Car Insurance Comparison
Enter your ZIP code below to view companies that have cheap car insurance rates.
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Joel Ohman
Founder & CFP®
Joel Ohman is the CEO of a private equity backed digital media company. He is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, author, angel investor, and serial entrepreneur who loves creating new things, whether books or businesses. He has also previously served as the founder and resident CFP® of a national insurance agency, Real Time Health Quotes. He has an MBA from the University of South Florida. Jo...
Founder & CFP®
Editorial Guidelines: We are a free online resource for anyone interested in learning more about auto insurance. Our goal is to be an objective, third-party resource for everything auto insurance related. We update our site regularly, and all content is reviewed by auto insurance experts.