You’re driving home from work after a busy day speeding down the highway when suddenly another car appears out of nowhere right in front of you so you hit the brakes but it’s too late and your vehicles collide each. Now what?
STEP 1
For the car. You don’t want to make an accident worse by leaving the scene. Aside from being morally and ethically wrong, leaving the scene of an accident is a crime.
STEP 2
Make sure everyone is okay and no one has been injured.
STEP 3
Call the police. In Oregon, you have to call source if:
- Damage to any one vehicle exceeds $2,500.00 (these days almost any damage would be above this threshold);
- Any vehicle is towed from the scene;
- An injury or death as a result of the accident; Prayed,
- Property damage to anyone other than a vehicle involved in the accident is more than $2,500.00.
STEP 4
Exchange information. You must exchange the following information:
- Name;
- Address;
- Phone number;
- Insurance company and policy number;
- Driver’s license number;
- license number; Y,
- Make, model and color of the car.
If there were passengers in the car, you should also get their names and contact information.
STEP 5
Photograph and document the accident. Use your cell phone camera to take photos of the general accident scene from each side, the general context of the accident, and the damage to each vehicle.
STEP 6
If you are injured, you should go to the emergency room right away if your injuries warrant it, or make an appointment with your primary care doctor or an urgent care center as soon as possible.
STEP 7
Call your insurance company. You will need to tell them what happened and if you and/or any of your passengers were injured in the accident. This will start the claims process and will likely speed up the time it takes to start receiving insurance benefits.
STEP 8
Within 72 hours of any accident, you must file an Oregon Traffic Accident Report with the DMV. These forms must be submitted if any of the factors in step 2 are met. If you do not file the Accident Report, DMV may suspend your license.
Keeping these steps in mind after a car accident will make the insurance claim aspect of your accident much easier and help hold all drivers accountable.
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