A few months ago, I wrote a post about what to do after you’ve been involved in a crash. Officer Chris Goodwin from the California Highway Patrol provided some great tips, which I recently got to put into action on a cross-country move when my car got hit in the middle of Albuquerque.
Luckily there was very minimal damage and there were no injuries. Still, my adrenaline was pumping, and I’m glad I had Officer Goodwin’s advice in my head.
After we pulled to the side of the road, the first thing I did was to take a photo of the other person’s license plate in case he decided to drive away. (That’s not actually something Officer Goodwin mentioned, but at the time it was just instinctive. As it turned out, the guy who hit me was very nice and did not attempt to flee.)
While we were waiting for the police, I took 360-degree video of both vehicles. I mentioned the points of impact and noted some potential pre-existing damage on the other person’s truck. Officer Goodwin had said that rampant insurance fraud often leads people to claim additional damage, so it’s good to have thorough documentation of everything that is and isn’t there.
As I retrieved my insurance and registration, I found a NHTSA notebook I had gotten (and long since forgotten) at the Los Angeles Auto Show a couple years ago. It seemed quite appropriate for recording details of the crash.
The other driver and I exchanged information, and luckily I remembered to ask the police officer for a case number, because he had almost forgotten to give it to me.
There were a few things that slipped my mind, though. I forgot to video or photograph all the people involved in the crash (though that should be in the police report). I forgot to get the other driver’s address, even though it was right there on his license. (I imagine that will be in the report, too, but that was one of the many questions my insurance company asked.)
The insurance company also asked which police department responded and for the officer’s name. I hadn’t thought to get either, but luckily my husband had observed both. When asking for details of the crash, they asked about direction of travel–something I’ve never been good at ascertaining. I’m more of a left/right person than an east/west. Since the crash happened just before the on-ramp of a north-south interstate, I was able to figure it out pretty easily, but a map would have come in handy, too, especially since the crash occurred in an area completely unfamiliar to me.
I realized that in the heat of the moment, it’s easy to forget everything you’re supposed to do. I’m considering making a little checklist to keep in the glove compartment just in case I ever need it again. If I do wind up making one, I’ll be sure to share here! (Or if anyone else knows of one, feel free to post it.)