About 75 percent of car accidents occur without causing injury to the drivers, only resulting in some minor damage to the vehicles. Still, this is an extremely stressful situation to be in, especially if you’ve never been in a fender bender before. It’s important to keep your cool and take the proper steps following a minor accident.
What to do if your Ford is in a Fender Bender
Step one: Remain calm. It might be the last thing you want to do, but it’s important so you can try to think as clearly as possible, and get to the following steps.
Step two: Check on everyone. Make sure everyone, including yourself and everyone in the other vehicle, is ok after a car accident. If someone is injured, make sure to alert the authorities at 911 right away. If someone is freaking out, but is physically alright, take a little time to try and calm them down.
Step three: Move your vehicle if it’s safe to. This means move it out of the way of traffic, unless it’s going to cause further damage. If you don’t believe it’s safe to move it, then leave it where it is until it can be safely sorted out later.
Step four: Call the police. The law changes depending on what state you’re in and how much damage is caused, but even if the accident is extremely minor, it’s better to be safe than sorry. The police department will likely be able to send someone down, and create an official report of what happened.
Step five: Collect information. You’ll need to exchange insurance information with the other drive, but make sure you actually write it down. You’ll generally want a name, address, phone number, email, the car’s info, license plate number, their insurance carrier and policy number. Take photos of the damage to both cars as well. Also document any witness statements, including their contact information if they agree.
Step six: Call the insurance company. When everything is settled down and you’re calm, give your insurance company a call to make your claim. Some recommend contacting the other driver’s insurance company as well, especially if you believe them to be at fault.
Our experts at the Holiday Ford Body Shop work on all makes and models. Sick of dealing with the insurance company? That’s ok because we work with them to make sure you’re back on the road as soon as possible.
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