Your first accident as a teen driver can be a terrifying and overwhelming experience. Even if you were not the party at fault, it can be frustrating to not know where to turn or what to do. If handling a collision repair is something you need to take care of to resolve the situation, then the following steps can help you know how to deal with it.
Trade Information with All Parties Involved
Before any collision repair can be handled, you need to get the information of all other drivers involved in the accident including the following:
Get a Medical Check Up
After being in an accident, the first thing you need to do is get a medical check up. You are much more important than your vehicle, so be sure that you are in the clear before you begin the next steps to handle the necessary collision repair.
Call Your Insurance Provider
Your car insurance company needs to be contacted. This can feel like a very daunting call to make, but these are the people who are going to help you resolve things in the best way possible. They will let you know what collision repair companies they use, can send out a tow truck to transport the damaged vehicle, and will get you a rental car to use while the damaged car is being fixed. This one call will simplify things a great deal.
Take Pictures
If anything about the incident needs to be proven in a legal setting, it will help to have pictures of the actual crash. Before any of the damaged cars drive away or are towed off, do yourself a favor and capture the scene on your phone. You should take pictures of the following elements of the crash:
These statements can be helpful in allowing the insurance companies to decide which policy is legally responsible to handle the cost of the collision repair.
Write Down What Happened
There is a chance that you could be served a traffic ticket for your involvement in the accident, even if you don't think you were at fault. That is why the pictures are important. Just as important in these situations is your personal version of the incident. Take some time to write down everything that happened. Be honest and detailed. If there was anyone else in the car with you, then you should have them do the same.
Teen drivers can feel overwhelmed and scared in these situations, but it is important to remember that 80% of drivers on the road will be involved in an accident. It happens. Simply follow these steps, and your collision repair and accident situation will go smoothly. For more information, contact companies like Mach 1 Body Shop Inc.
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