
Stay at the scene. Even
if it seems to you that it was just a case of one bumper nicking the
other, and that there isn't much to report, resist the urge to panic
and race off. Failure to stay at the scene automatically puts you in
a suspicious position because typically, people associate fleeing
with guilt. If you remain at the scene, you demonstrate your
responsibility, and communicate that you have nothing to hide...and
if you don't, you can be sure that you will be caught, and that the
consequences for driving away will be far worse than anything you
might have feared just from staying at the scene to begin with.
Report the accident. If
you've managed to stay at the scene, good work: that's the first
thing you did right. However, you may find yourself and the other
party engaged in a dialogue that is motivated by the same kind of
fear that would prompt you to speed off to begin with—fear of what
consequences there may be for each of you if the accident is
reported. Never agree to not report the accident. For one, there is
no reason to believe that the other party will not turn around and
report it without you. In such a case, you will appear to be more
culpable and guilty because you did not follow procedure. Contacting
the police is the best way to protect both parties and to ensure the
fairest possible outcome.
Don't rush to find fault—with
either party. Any insurance provider seeking to equip you
with the best advice possible in terms of dealing with collisions
will tell you that you must never admit fault. The reasons that
people rush to admit fault are well-intentioned: they are trying to
be honest. However, it is very often the case that a driver believes
himself or herself to be at fault when in fact they are not.
Reporting the accident will enable law officials to accurately
determine fault—this really is not your responsibility. Conversely,
don't rush to blame the other party either. Emotions and tensions are
already running high, and exacerbating this will only slow down the
process of quickly and effectively resolving things.
Record, record, record. The
more details you record at the time of the accident, the better the
expected outcome for yourself. For the purpose of insurance claims,
you want to record as much information as you can about the other
party's vehicle, including the make, model, and year, as well as
license plate number. You'll also want detailed contact information
for the other driver. In terms of recording details about the actual
accident itself, use every means available to you. Write down as much
as you can in terms of how the accident played out (being as
objective as possible) because you will forget these details very
quickly. Also, technology is on your side: you should definitley use
your phone to take as many pictures as possible of the scene.