What do I do After a Car Accident?

What to Do If You're In an Accident: A Step-by-Step Guide

It all happened so fast. One second, you were driving down the road on the way to wherever. The next second was of blaring horns, crashing sounds, and the shocking realization that you'd been involved in an accident.

Even the most careful drivers can find themselves involved in an accident. Collisions are an unfortunate reality of being on the road, and traffic accidents happen to countless people every day. If you find yourself in this unfortunate situation, there are steps you can take to protect yourself and care for your vehicle.

The collision experts at Suburban Collision Centers will also be here to make sure you're not on your own. With nine locations across Michigan, we have extensive experience helping drivers navigate the aftermath of an accident. You can count on our team of certified technicians to get your vehicle back in good shape and back on the road. Let's start with a quick rundown of the steps you should take if a traffic accident occurs.

Take These First Steps Immediately After Your Accident

The moments after a collision can be confusing, frightening, and disorienting. Those feelings can be even worse if you or any of your passengers are injured. It goes without saying, of course, that your first priority is to make sure everyone involved in the accident is safe. Here's what to do:

  • How severe was your accident? If it appears the damage to your vehicle is minor and you're still able to drive it safely, carefully move your vehicle out of the road to prevent any disruption to traffic and prevent additional collisions. You can also turn on your hazard lights to warn other drivers as they approach you.
  • Take a moment to check yourself, your passenger, and anyone else involved in the accident for injuries. Don't hesitate to call 911 if there's even a faint suspicion that someone has sustained an injury. "Better safe than sorry," is a saying for a reason!
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  • Remain on the scene of the accident and call the police. Even if the accident is minor in nature, you'll want an official report for insurance filing purposes and to protect yourself legally. Your insurance company will be less likely to approve your claims if all you have is "take my word for it.
  • Evacuate the area immediately if it appears there's any risk of fire or an explosion. Remove yourself, your passengers, and anyone else around to a safe distance and stay there until emergency workers can arrive to help you.

Collect Information and Document the Accident

So you've dealt with any pressing medical or safety needs. You've called the police, and there's an officer on the way. What comes next? This is the point where you should start collecting information about the accident. This isn't a step you should skip, and it would be illegal to do so! Michigan state law actually requires drivers to exchange their names, addresses, and vehicle registration information if they're involved in an accident.

You should make your best effort to gather as much of the following information as you can:

  • Driver's license numbers from any drivers involved in the incident. Make sure they get yours, too!
  • The plate numbers and vehicle information (make, model, year, etc.) from any cars involved in the incident.
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    • The names and contact information of drivers, passengers, and eyewitnesses. If someone can attest to what happened, you should try to get their information.
    • Make sure to get the insurance companies and policy numbers from all involved drivers. This is another detail you should be sure to share, as well.
    • Try to record the exact location of the accident as well as the rough time that the accident occurred.
    • The name and badge number of the police officers who responded to the accident.

    As a final step, assuming it's safe to do so, use your smartphone to take pictures of the accident scene and any vehicle damage, from multiple angles. Make sure to be courteous and polite through all your interactions. Emotions can understandably run hot during moments like these, and you don't want to say anything that could make matters worse.

    File a Claim with Your Insurance Company

    Don't wait or hesitate to contact your insurance company. You should give them a call as soon as possible once you've left the accident. A claims adjuster will be assigned to your case - their role is to investigate the accident, consult police reports and witness statements, and determine how much the insurance company will cover.

    Sometimes, if an accident appears minor, drivers may feel tempted to offer an out-of-pocket payment to keep things simple. We would strongly recommend against this. While it might be tempting to pay for damages yourself to avoid a hassle, the full extent of your required repairs might not always be apparent to the eye. It's possible that the full cost of your repairs could be much higher than you initially expected.

    A Consumer Reports study found that even low-speed collisions, around 10 miles per hour, can cause damage costing as much as $3,000 to $6,000 to repair. It's best to let insurance handle that expense. That's why you're paying them in the first place!

    Get Your Vehicle Repaired at Suburban Collision Centers

    Once you've taken care of the necessary documentation and insurance steps, it's time to restore your vehicle to its pre-accident condition. That's where the certified technicians at Suburban Collision Centers come in! We have the expertise and resources to fully repair your vehicle. When you're done with it, you won't even be able to tell the difference from what it looked like before the accident.

    How should you go about initiating your repair work? You can get started by contacting one of our nine Michigan locations and scheduling an inspection. Our professionals will assemble a damage assessment and provide an estimate of your repair costs.

    This estimate will be forwarded to your insurance claims adjuster. Once they've reviewed and approved the estimate, our ASE-certified and manufacturer-certified technicians will get started on your vehicle's repairs. We use the latest equipment, including advanced computerized color-matching technology and Chief EZ Liner frame machines, to help restore your vehicle to its original factory specifications.

    Best of all? Our repairs are all backed by a lifetime warranty. If there's anything wrong with our work, you can bring it back and we'll make up for it - free of any additional charge!

    Reach Out to Suburban Collision Centers Today to Get Started

    Are you looking for help with a recent road incident? Do you have questions or concerns and want a friendly someone to talk them over with? The experts at Suburban Collision Centers are here to be the collision center resource you need. We know accidents are stressful, and if there's something our team can do to make things easier, we want to help.

    With nine convenient locations across the state, the Suburban Collision Centers team combines decades of experience with state-of-the-art technology to get you back on the road safely. Give us a call or a click today to pass on your questions or schedule your repair session.

    1. Suburban Collision Centers

      1755 Maplelawn Dr
      Nine Locations to Serve Your Needs, MI 48084

    2. Suburban Collision of Troy

      1759 Maplelawn Dr
      TROY, MI 48084

      • Call: (248) 859-7950
    3. Suburban Ford Collision of Sterling Heights

      40333 Van Dyke Ave
      Ste B
      Sterling Heights, MI 48313

      • Call: (586) 435-1908
    4. Suburban Ford Collision of Waterford

      6975 Highland Rd
      Ste B
      Waterford, MI 48327

      • Call: (947) 218-0268
    5. Suburban Chevrolet Cadillac Collision of Ann Arbor

      3515 Jackson Rd
      Ste B
      Ann Arbor, MI 48103

      • Call: (734) 489-6738
    6. Suburban Cadillac Collision of Plymouth

      40475 Ann Arbor Rd
      Ste B
      Plymouth, MI 48170

      • Call: (734) 419-9002
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