Auto accident checklist: Tips on what to do following a car accident

Hopefully you will never be involved in an auto accident or need to file an insurance claim. Even the most careful and skilled drivers, however, can easily find themselves in the middle of a crash. Would you know what to do? Knowledge of what to do after the car accident can help make the insurance claims process easier and smoother so that you are back on the road faster.
If you are in an auto accident:

1. Try to stay calm, stop your vehicle and check for injuries. The life and health of you, your passengers and the other people involved in the accident is far more important than the vehicle itself.

2. If required, call the police and let them know of the accident, your location, how many people are involved, whether there are injuries and the types of injuries.

3. You may wish to take reasonable steps to protect yourself, and your vehicle, from further damage. Where possible and if legal, move the autos to the side of the road and turn on your hazards as soon as it is safe. If you have flares, you may wish to use them to warn oncoming traffic and to prevent additional crashes.

4. Taking lots of notes is a good practice, like: