Motor accidents can be traumatic and stressful for everyone involved, regardless of who’s fault it is.

My tip is to try to stay calm. Take a deep breath,  don’t discuss blame, just check that everyone is ok, and if not call the police and/or ambulance service on 999.

The first hour after an accident is known as “The Golden Hour”.  This is because it’s the best time to collect vital information about how the accident happened.

If you follow these tips, you’ll help your insurance claim get resolved much quicker.

Take photos 

Photos are your best friends, so take as many photos as you can.

Most people have a smart phone with a great camera. Get as many photos as you can from close ups to standing well back and getting the whole scene. Even take video describing what you can see. This is a huge help to your Insurance company when they need to deal with the claim.

Essential photos are of:

• Registration numbers of everyone involved – this saves you finding paper and pen to write this down.
• The Location of where you are.  The position of your vehicle and the surrounding area.+
• The Damage to both (or all) vehicles.  Even if you can see no damage to either vehicle/s take photos to prove there was NO damage sustained.

Whilst videos are great, the most important thing is clarity of the images, so make sure the photos/clips are clear.

Third Party Details (the other person in the accident)

Exchange details with the other drivers involved in the accident. Be sure to get their; Name, address, car registration, telephone number and Insurance details.
Also get the contact details of any passengers involved and any witnesses that can recount what happened.

Call me (Kim) on 0333 3583 394

This is your 24hour Claims line, and I can help you more the earlier you notify me.

Honesty

Be as honest and as detailed as you can when talking to your insurer, claims handler, the police and whoever else might be involved in the accident and claim.

It’s important not to exaggerate your claim since this could lead to the whole claim being rejected.

Theft

If your vehicle is stolen, then report this to your local police force and obtain an incident number for the insurers.  Without this your insurers cannot settle your claim.