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Keep your auto insurance information in the glove compartment,
including a pre-printed form allowing you to provide the particulars of
any accident, including a sketch of the scene.
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Stay at the scene of the accident until police have come and gone,
making sure you have the name of the officer(s) and that they have your
version of what happened. Do not assume a police report will "take you off
the hook" or even that one will be generated in the event of a minor
accident ("minor" may mean no one is injured even though your car suffers
a direct hit).
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Exchange names, addresses, driver's license and insurance information
with the driver of the other car.
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Review your policy to make sure of your coverage. Make a list of
questions and related information you want to know.
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Report the accident promptly to your insurance company. This may not
seem wise or necessary to you. The accident may be minor, you may not want
to risk seeing your rates rise or you may live in a no-fault state and
think that the other driver's insurance company will pay for everything.
But state laws generally protect you from higher rates unless an accident
was your fault. And even though you may think no-fault lets you off the
hook for the other driver's medical expenses, it does not. It simply says
his insurance will pay for his expenses (up to the limits of his
coverage), regardless of who is at fault. But rest assured his insurance
company will come knocking on your insurer's door seeking repayment if it
believes you were at fault in the accident. The point is, your insurer
should be informed.
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