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Car Accident - What do you do after an accident?

About 5.5 million car accidents are reported every year. Most of us will only be in a few accidents in our lifetime and most will be minor. However, when an accident happens it can still disrupt your calm and ruin your day. In addition to natural anxiety in response to an unexpected event, the process of working with the other driver, the police, and the insurance companies can create further apprehension. Much of the stress can be eased if you take a little time now to prepare your vehicle and yourself for the chance event of an auto accident.

Most drivers will never experience a major accident and the minor car accidents they do experience will be few. Therefore, it is harder for drivers to prepare for an accident when they don't have the past experience to build strategies of what works best. Therefore, we have taken time to compile a list of some of the most repeated advice from insurance agents, government websites, research studies, and fellow drivers. In addition to this general advice, we have also created a downloadable checklist which can be printed and kept in your car in case of an accident.

Before the Accident

The Accident Just Happened

The Next Hour

The Next Day

General Follow-Up

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Accident Resources:
There are several bits of information you should get after a car accident. The attached form can be printed and stashed in your glove box - we hope you never have to use it!

Accident Information Form (PDF)

Want an app for that? There are many out there - some created by the major insurance companies and others by local law firms. Here are a few of the more general apps we found:

Further Reading:



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