What You Can Expect At The Scene

When you get into an accident a lot can happen in a short period of time. Some of those things can affect your rights, your welfare and even your health. Take a moment to walk yourself through this scenario so when it happens you don't get caught by surprise and make the wrong decision

This information may seem to paint everyone involved in your accident in a negative light. This is not our intent. However, in every profession there are "a few bad apples" that spoil it for everyone. It is out goal to educate you on how to deal with those few occurrences should they happen.

SHOCK

After the accident occurs, you will be in shock. The adrenaline and stress of the moment will make you think irrationally and make decisions in a way that you wouldn't normally make them. Remember that others at the scene will be experiencing this same phenomenon. That being said, make sure that you are okay before doing anything else.

Don't move until you've had a chance to properly look yourself over as even the smallest accident can have serious injuries connected to them.
If you are injured, stay where you are until you can get assistance as the shock will make you think your injuries are smaller than they actually are. You can injure yourself further by attempting to move while in shock.
If you can ascertain that you are not injured proceed to the steps located on the "What You Need" page.

OTHER DRIVERS

Remember, other drivers are going through the same thing that you are. They will be panicking, they may be acting irrationally, and they may be injured and in shock.

Other drivers map be reasonable, however you should expect that they may not, and in some cases may even become violent for no apparent reason. If you feel that you are at risk, call the police and wait for their arrival before interacting with other drivers.
Some drivers may seem nervous or indicate that they are anxious to get on with their day or even avoid police involvement. In these cases, it may be that the other driver might not have a valid drivers license or insurance. If this is the case, they may be very insistent about leaving before the police arrive and if you leave the scene and/or have inaccurate information about them you may lose all claim against them in the accident. If something doesn't feel right, it probably isn't and you should wait for the arrival of the police regardless of the other drivers departure.

POLICE

The police are, in every circumstance, there to help you. Even if you are at fault in some way in the accident, if you are forth coming and honest about the facts of the incident, they will be able to assist you more effectively than if you attempt to change the details to strengthen your case. In fact, changing the details of an incident may result in criminal charges and may make them less likely to co-operate if they are needed to testify on your behalf... they're only human after all.

Present the police with only the facts. Despite being sympathetic, they are not usually concerned with where you were on your way to or how you don't consider yourself a bad driver. The faster you can get the accident specific details to them, the better they can help you and the faster they will be able to move on to another incident in which they are needed.
The police are trained to spot false statements, intended or not. Do not lie about the incident. The police will find out the truth and it only makes you look guilty.
The police may seem abrupt or uncaring. Understand that they see accidents everyday and will see more after yours is over with. They have time to be concerned with only two things; Are you okay? What happened? Typically, if you are with them and having a discussion about the facts of the incident, you are okay, so it's likely at that point that they are only concerned with the details, be respectful of their time and effort because they are probably having a worse day then you, even with your accident.

TOWERS

Many towers make a very good living taking advantage of your lack of knowledge. Know your rights and do not be afraid to speak up for yourself and do what is best for you. When the tower arrives they may try to convince you that they are looking out for your best interest, but in most circumstances they will try to convince you to do what is best for them.

Generally, towers will show up on a scene and begin to hook up your vehicle without asking your permission. This is illegal and you should tell them not to touch your vehicle until you have made a decision.
They may try to tell you that the police sent them to help you. This is not true, the police will never send a specific tower without advising you first.
They may try to tell you that they "know a guy" or "have a friend" that has a shop that can help you out inexpensively. The fact of the matter is that most towers receive cash payment for every vehicle they bring to a location. The location they will take you to is the one that will pay them the most, not the one which is best for your vehicle or circumstances.
If they take you to a location which is not to your liking or to which you did not request and you ask them to take you elsewhere, in many cases they will require an increased payment to do so (sometimes cash only) or may tell you that they have another call to go to and won't be able to come back to get you for a time. In these cases, the tower is just trying to put you in a situation that keeps you at the location that is paying them the most.

INSURANCE

FACT: Where your vehicle goes to be repaired is entirely your decision. Insurance companies have been known to use intimidation and the drivers lack of knowledge about their rights to direct the drivers decision making to protect their profits.

Insurance companies may tell you many things to try to direct you into using one of the shops that they have a relationship with. You may hear them use terms such as "pre-approved" or "certified" when describing a shop that they are suggesting. The only criteria that most of these shops have met is that they will rebate the insurance company at a level the increases the profit made on your policy.
These shops may do the minimal work necessary to fulfill your policy and have the work last long enough to get past the warranty as a way of getting back what they have lost to the insurance company rebate.
Insurance companies have been known to threaten higher premiums on renewal for failure to use their "approved" shops. This is illegal.

COLLISION "BODY" SHOPS

Generally, if a shop appears unprofessional it probably is. This is another instance in which you may encounter intimidation tactics. Do not be afraid to look around or even go elsewhere if you don't like what you see. The feeling you get is probably the right feeling.

If your hear "cheaper" it probably means "cutting corners" to get the job done.
It is a common practice in the industry to "up-sell" the customer on an insurance job. The estimator may tell you that they can "move the claim around" so that you can get damage not related to the accident fixed within the same claim. This practice can often be considered insurance fraud despite the fact that you'll be told that they "do it all the time".
"Good enough" is not safe. If the job is not done completely and with the correct parts and techniques, accepting it is putting your life at risk. You may be told that they "can eliminate your deductible" if... your blanket answer should be no as again, they are concerned with their interests, not yours.