Three Ways Your Smart Phone Can Help You After A Fender Bender
Getting into a fender bender can mean higher insurance rates, but there is a tool available that can help you with this problem. Your smartphone can be your best friend after a small accident. Granted, if the accident is serious enough, there will likely be a police report and even paramedics called to the accident due to injuries, but if the accident is not serious enough for an emergency call, then using your smartphone can help you with an insurance claim. The following are three reasons how it can help you.
To get a visual record of the damage
It is possible that damage to the other vehicle can be worse after the accident. The driver of the other car can get into a second accident, or intentionally cause more damage to the car. Either way, using your smartphone at the scene of the accident can get good photos or a video recording of the condition of all cars involved. Make sure you get all sides of a car, not just the area with damage. You should also get images of any property that was damaged other than the cars.
To document injuries
Although it is possible for someone to appear physically fine after an accident and later to be diagnosed with an injury, most medical problems manifest themselves right after the accident. The extent of the injury may not be known at the time, but it will be apparent that a person has been hurt. However, it is common for people to claim to have been injured in a car accident, long after the accident has occurred. Having a video recording of a person's movement after the car crash can help your personal injury attorney.
To get information about the driver
A driver may tell you they accidentally left their wallet at home, so he gives you an address and phone number verbally. Or maybe he doesn't have proof of insurance, because he just got a new policy and hasn't put the insurance card in the vehicle yet. This type of story may be true, but it may be a lie to get out of paying for a fender bender. Your smartphone can take a picture of the car's license plate, and this can be turned over to your insurance company if the driver cannot be contacted.
Remember, if the accident is serious enough that people have obviously been hurt, call for medical help immediately. Likewise, if the accident causes enough damage that one or more cars cannot be removed from the road, the police need to be called. But for smaller accidents, remain calm, and grab your smartphone to begin documenting the accident.