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Even though we always drive to the best of our ability, there are always accidents on the road. When you have been involved with a fender bender, you should make sure to be prepared, as it will help the process run smoothly and quickly. Fender benders are extremely common, leaving your car in the body shop for some time, but can be easy to deal with if you do the right things at the scene of the accident.
Things to Check
As soon as you have been involved in a fender bender, you should check to make sure that your passengers are okay and clear the road if possible. You should then exit the vehicle and discuss the incident with the other driver. You should ensure that everyone involved in the fender bender is okay and inspect the damage done to your vehicle. You should look over each vehicle closely and identify any damage that has been done to either vehicle.
Take Pictures
After you have checked the damage and began talking to the other driver, you would take pictures of everything. You should take pictures of the entire scene, and detailed close ups of the damage done to the vehicles. Having records of the exact damage done to your car is important to have later on in the process as you talk to your insurance provider.
Exchange Information
As you are talking to the other driver you should exchange information. You should always exchange information with the other driver after a fender bender, so that you have information to give to your insurance provider. You should make sure to take note of their name, phone number, address, insurance number, and driver's license number. You always want to have this information so that your insurance provider can accurately identify who the other driver is, and you can ensure that you are covered when you end up needing to take your vehicle into the body shop. A trip to your local body shop can become expensive, so it is extremely important to get accurate information from the other driver.
Call Your Insurance Provider
After you have finished exchanging information, you should sit down and call your insurance provider to have your claim put into the system. It is important that you call your provider right away so that your claim can be processed in a timely manner. You do not want to sit on a claim and wait to submit it, as this will slow down the entire process of having your car fixed. The last thing you want is for your car’s repair to be held up in the body shop because your claim has not been processed yet.
Take Your Car to the Body Shop
After you have called your insurance provider and submitted a claim, you should schedule a repair time at your local body shop to have your vehicle repaired. This process can take time, so it is important to call the body shop quickly and have it scheduled quickly. Once your car is in the body shop you will need to find a rental car for the duration of your vehicle’s repair. If the damage is only minor you may only be out of a car for a couple of days, however if the damage is major, you will want to look into finding a rental car while your car is in the shop. You may qualify to have a free rental car for the duration of your car’s repair if you signed up for the bonus when signing up for your insurance plan, so you should give your provider a call to see if you do qualify. If you do not you should investigate finding a rental while your car is out.
You should follow the steps listed above to make sure that your vehicle’s repair is smooth and quick. The next time you find yourself in a fender bender, make sure to be prepared. Remember to check the necessary places, take pictures, exchange information, call your insurance provider, and finally take your vehicle into the body shop. If you follow these steps, you will give your car’s repair its best chance to be as smooth as possible.
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