Top Tips After a Motor Vehicle Accident
Do you remember the day you bought your vehicle? One of the happiest moments as you signed on the dotted line making that vehicle yours. You made your trek to the insurance broker, selected your insurance options, and started your journey in your new vehicle. Happy adventuring is all that is on your mind!
But what happens when your journey doesn’t go as planned?
When a motor vehicle accident interrupts your day, it can leave you feeling angry or sad; stressed and confused. When things take a turn for the worse, we have a hard time remembering our next steps with gathering the right information for the claim; let alone, accident etiquette.
No one plans for an accident, however, we have a quick guide to getting back on track after an accident. It will help you deal with the shock of the moment, gather information, and then make a claim.
8 steps to take after a motor vehicle accident.
1. Take a moment to recover from the shock of the accident.
This is way easier said than done, but in all reality taking a few deep breaths will help calm your nerves.
2. Take stock of the injured.
Are you or anyone else in your vehicle hurt? What about the people in the other vehicle? Call 911 if the injuries require. Extreme anger can also be a side effect of the accident, if the person is threatening and you feel in danger, call 911!
3. Move your vehicle to a safer place.
Don’t exchange information in a busy intersection, it is not safe for you or others to be walking around in traffic. If your vehicle can be moved; move your vehicle to a safer place where you can exchange information with the other driver. Do not leave the scene of an accident, always let the other driver know where you are going so, they can follow you. If your vehicle or other vehicle is not movable, call 911 to help with traffic control.
4. Take photos with your phone and take notes on your phone.
Our phones have evolved into such helpful tools. The note pad can be useful for taking down accident information and other driver information. Photos can help with accident placement and damage. You can also take photos of licenses, license plates, vehicles, intersection names, and or landmarks.
5. Exchange info.
- Name
- Contact number
- Driver’s License number
- License plate number
- Year, make, and model of the vehicle
- Where did the accident occur: the street, city, province
- Date and time of the accident
You will need to provide this information to MPI when you call them to make the claim.
6. Look for witnesses
Witnesses can provide MPI with more information about the accident. Make sure to get their name and contact number.
7. Remove vehicle debris from the road.
If it is safe to do so, pick up the large debris off the roadway. Road debris can puncture tires or cause obstacles for other vehicles, causing unpredictable maneuvers around the debris on the road. In other words, debris on the roadway can cause additional incidents at the scene of your accident.
8. Call MPI and make a Claim
Call MPI at 1-800-665-2410. This guide should have helped you gather all the information you require to make your claim. Make sure to let them know if any of the vehicles were not movable so that they can dispatch a tow truck. They will also want to know if there were any injuries and if anyone left the accident in an ambulance.
Accidents are not easy, nor are they fun for anyone involved. American actress Brooke Langton says it best, “There’s so much adrenaline rushing through you that you remember being in an accident but don’t remember any of the details”. This guide was created to ease your burden of information gathering and aid in speeding up your claim-making process.
