An auto accident is a very jarring experience, and very often people are unsure about what information to collect from the other party involved. Accidents are frustrating in nature, and lack of the pertinent information can lead to claim delays and add to those feelings of frustration. Below is a list of information you should be sure to obtain after an accident. This will help ensure a smooth claim process.
- License Information: This should include the full name, license number, date of birth, and address of the driver. Be sure you obtain this information as the vehicle owner is not always the driver.
- Registration Information: Take down the year, make, model, plate number, and color of the vehicle as well as the insurance company if it is listed. Be sure you look at the vehicle itself to verify that the registration belongs to the vehicle in the accident. You will also want to take down the name and address of the owner listed on the registration in case the driver is not the owner.
- Location: Take note of the location of the accident. Be sure you have the street address if possible, or at least landmarks if no street number. If at an intersection be sure to get the names of both streets.
- Passengers: Be sure to get the names and addresses of any passengers in the other vehicle. At the very least, be sure you know how many are in the vehicle so that you can make your insurance carrier aware. This information may be necessary if there are injuries from the accident.
Provide this information to your insurance carrier or agent as quickly as possible so that the claims process can get started. The more information you can provide, the less complications and delays will arise. Also be sure to provide the information regarding your license and vehicle to the other party involved so they can get the claims process started on their end as well. Insurance carriers talk to one another during a claim, so if one side has information and the other does not then the claim can be delayed while the carrier without the information obtains it and verifies it so the claim can proceed.
If the police are involved, they will typically give out an accident exchange form of some kind which will have most of this information for each party involved. Just take that form and inform your carrier or agent of the information provided on it so they can file the claim for you.
Have you ever been involved in an accident and found yourself at a loss when trying to figure out what information you needed from the other party involved? If so tell us your story in the comments section below.
