ROANOKE, Va. – Car accidents aren't fun.
“My actual worst accident was on my way to pick up my wife's wedding dress after a wedding fitting, and we ended up shutting down the New Jersey turnpike,” said owner Keith Hallacher, at Keith Hallacher Associates.
How to make the best of a bad situation?
“It's very important not to let your emotions get the best of you at that moment, because you can make a bad situation a lot worse,” Hallacher said. “The best thing to do is call the police first, 911 if anyone is hurt or needs medical care.”
Then call your insurance carrier.
“We definitely have a lot of customers who wait until after the fact, and sometimes this can complicate matters as far as gathering accident reports,” said licensed sales producer Joshua Bishop, at Allstate Insurance Company.
While you're at the scene of the accident, you do not need to share any personal information with those involved.
“But your name and phone number. You also want let the person know the insurance company that you have,” Bishop said.
Bishop explains what not to do.
“You want to make sure that you do not admit fault at the scene of the accident. We encourage you only to talk to the police about details concerning the accident,” Bishop said.
Whatever situation you find yourself in, Hallacher says the safety of everyone should come first.