I work in a claims dept. call center (no flames, I just handle the calls!!) and thought I'd post up some thoughts on things to have in the car or things to do in the event you have an accident.

Paper & pens (at least 2)
small digital camera--Wal Mart or just about anyplace for around $30. (cell phones don't take that great of a picture for this purpose).

In the event of an accident here's the things the insurance company will need:
Time, Date, exact street location ("it happened down in the Wall Mart parking lot" won't work here).

CALL THE POLICE & GET A POLICE REPORT OR AN ACCIDENT EXCHANGE FORM--in the event they're uninsured/underinsured your insurance agent will need this to file an uninsured motorist claim.

License Plate & Vin # of the vehicle (usualy located between the dash & windshield or one of the door posts) and description of the vehicle (year, make, & model). Get this before making contact with the driver...if they try to take off then its a hit & run & the police will track him down for you. If you work quickly you'll have most of this before they figure out whats going on (they'll also get the message that you know exactly what to do and be less likely to bolt on you...at least it worked when I got rear-ended).

Name of the driver, drivers license # and insurance info (make sure to get the complete policy # and the name of the policy holder-very important, without that the insurance company is just shooting in the dark). The insurance card should also have the name of the agent that wrote the policy--get this & call the agent to report the loss (don't let them tell you they don't take loss notices--if their insured wants to report one you bet they'd take it).

Best advice of all--keep your cool, blowing your top at their agent or insurance company isn't going to get them to help any quicker (if they help at all). Treat them nice (or at least calmly) and the agent or insurance company will be more likely to try & help you out.

 

and beat the other guy for being in your way or hitting your baby and claim you don't know what happened to him

 

This is exactly why I love my insurance company. Every time I've had an issue they immediately get things corrected for me (i.e. pay for repairs) then they settle with the other person's insurance. I never even have to track them down. I collect the pertinent info as outlined above, pass it along and I'm done! Good post by the way.

 

Great advice, I love it when I show up to an accident scene (police officer) and the people involved are already exchanging info. Saves me lots of time. If I'm not too busy and have time I will fill in all the personal info for both people while I have their ID's and ins. cards. If not, I just tell them to fill in the blanks on the form we carry and then exchange it.

Either way, police do not usually take photos of accidents unless it is a major one. That one is all up to the drivers, and is an excellent idea. Make sure and get a good overview photo showing both whole cars, and a few closer ones showing the specific damage. Also get some of the intersection/road/curve/parking space, and if it is at a non intersection, get a good landmark such as a building or signpost so the insurance adjuster that is not familiar with the area can get an idea of where exactly the accident happened.

 

No, insurance companies are evil. Don't you see all the commercials from the lawyers on TV.

Yelling and being a jerk to the guy who's in charge of writing your estimate isn't going to get you any special favors. What ins co do you work for?

 

I've worked for several companies for almost 25 years but I've worked for Union for the past 10 years. I've mostly worked mail room but studied hard & worked my way into the claims dept. as a CSR and have done that for the past 6 years. I try to give everyone good service but sometimes the attitude of the caller can make a difference...if they don't have enough information I'll tell them what I need from them and give them my extension so they can deal strictly with me instead of getting bounced around to other CSR's in the dept. Great info theedge67! While I knew to get pics of the cars I usually don't think to get pics of the road...just goes to show that there's great people on here with plenty of info--the info you can offer all depends on your point of view. Hope this info helps everyone out & makes everything easier if some of our babys are in a wreck. Thanks everybody!

 

Yeah, the pics of the road and surroundings is really only useful in a major crash or if you suspect a court battle of some sort. Usually just pics of the car will do. If you don't have a camera, don't worry too much, getting the right information is the most important part.

 

Great advice. The one thing I've never done is keep a camera in my car. Would probably be a good idea to pick one up, even a disposable, just in case.