Accidents are bad enough, but if one happens while you’re on business, the situation’s even worse. You might not know what to do first, and questions could begin to swirl in your head. If your work requires you to travel a lot, it would be wise to familiarize yourself with some of the most important considerations in the event of a car crash. In the following, we discuss three things you should do if you ever find yourself in this position.
Contact Your Employer
After making sure that everyone is okay, both in your car and the other driver’s, your next step is to contact your employer. Let them know that you’ve been in an accident and inform them about everything that has occurred to that point. More likely than not, your employer will simply want to know if you’re safe and able to tell them what happened. Remember that this interaction may be recorded and could be used to determine your fate with the company. Even if it’s not your fault, failure to notify your employer or produce a complete record of the event could be grounds for termination. Honesty is the best policy.
Document Everything
Court cases and insurance claims are often won on the basis of who has the best evidence. Therefore, always make sure that everything is documented correctly after a crash. The first thing you should do is take pictures of everything, including the scene, both vehicles and any injuries you may have sustained. According to Michael T. Gibson P.A, photographs are important proof of what happened and the damage that occurred. They will probably be requested later. Next, you should speak with the other driver to see if you can collect their insurance information. If you were in a company vehicle, you should provide them with the car’s insurance information and a business card. If they refuse or flat out don’t have any insurance, make a note of that in the police report. In the end, documentation and visual proof will constitute your best strategy and defense.
Promise Nothing
Car accidents can be very traumatic, and having angry strangers yelling at you about who’s going to pay for the damage does not help. However, according to The Zebra, the best way to handle this is to just wait for the police and not promise anything. Simply provide the other driver with your information and your company’s information. Never, under any circumstances, offer to pay for the damages, either from your pocket or the company’s. These types of promises can be easily recorded through audio or video or even in the police report. Often, judges will see a promise to pay as an admission of liability and a sign that you did, in fact, cause the accident. Take a deep breath, relax and politely inform the other people that you would like to wait for the police.
Being involved in a car accident can be a frustrating and scary thing. When your work is involved, that introduces a whole new level of anxiety. However, by simply adhering to the tips above, remaining calm and following proper procedures, you can begin to reduce the stress of the situation.
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