Pre-planning for a car accident can save you money

It’s always hard to predict how you’d react in a crisis. Take, for instance, a car accident. Unexpected and scary, a car accident can make you confused and uncertain. But keeping your wits about you after an accident is important in order to protect your financial future – you don’t want to make bad decisions that delay or destroy a car insurance claim.

Try thinking about how you should react before an accident ever happens. For example, think about calling the police no matter how minor it is. Experts we’ve spoken to warn that there could easily be unseen damage – damage that starts to cause bad noises a week later, when it’s too late to file a police report.

Think about collecting pertinent contact information from the other driver. It’s possible his or her insurance company is going to owe you money for damages or injuries.

And don’t take a cash offer from someone who crashes into you. Sure, a couple hundred dollars may sound adequate at the scene of a fender-bender, but you really don’t know the extent of the damage until you’re at the repair shop.