If you are in BC (as I am) and are in a car accident (as I
just was) and there are no emergency vehicles attending (police or ambulance),
there are some important things to do:
- Get witnesses. The woman walking her dog or an uninvolved driver who saw the
accident and stopped to make sure everyone was ok: get their names and
phone numbers. This is very important in case of conflicting information
later on.
- Get
the license plates of the cars involved and the driver’s licence number of
the drivers involved. Note the make and colour of the cars involved, and
if there were any passengers in any of the cars. Ask for the driver’s
names, phone numbers and addresses.
- Write
down when the accident occurred, where it occurred (cross streets), what
the weather was like, how many lanes of traffic, and so on.
- Draw a picture of what happened while it is still fresh in your mind. It’s
amazing how quickly things get forgotten.
- Don’t
get involved in an altercation. Don’t get mad, it’s just a car and you’re
all right.
- After
you leave the scene (armed with all this information), find a phone and
call into ICBC (or your insurance) and make your claim. Don’t assign emotional blame. If
someone hit you from behind, explain that, but don’t start insulting the
other driver to the claims operator.
- If you
are injured, or even think you might be, go see a doctor. Tell them what
happened and be straight. Soft tissue damage is very bad, especially in
the lower back region.
- Don’t
be a jackass and try to defraud the insurance company.