If you have ever been in a car accident, the feeling of your heart racing and your adrenaline pumping, it is difficult to think clearly about the event and the things you need to do immediately following an accident. It is very important to document thoroughly to ensure that the claims process is handled as quickly and smoothly as possible. Even if there is police involved, the accident report filled by the policy officer may take days and may not have all the necessary information. We have a check sheet available to pick, or mail that will conveniently fit in your glove box.Basic Information
Date
Time
Location
Weather conditions
Your Driving Speed
Road Speed Limit
Travel direction
Other Driver’s Basic Information
*Make certain the driver is the vehicle’s registered owner.
Name
Address
Home, Work and Cell number
Drivers license number
Make, Model, Year of car
License plate number
Vin Number (vehicle identification number)
Business card
Other Drivers Insurance Information
*exchange of ID card make this step easy
Insurance company name
Address
Phone Number
Policy Number
Passenger or Witness Information
Name Address
Home, Work and Cell number
Plate number if applicable
Police and Emergency Personnel
Division (example Fairbanks, Anchorage, Alaska State Trooper)
Name
Badge Number
Phone number
Don’t Forget to…
Write a description of any damage on your car
Take photos of car’s damage, and placement of vehicles (cell phones or digital camera). Perhaps take far away photos of the vehicle's and skid marks. Then take close photos of the license plates and vin numbers to have these to refer to.
If the police is involved they will provide a Alaska Motor Vehicle Crash Form 12-209. This form should be filled out when involved in any auto accident. If there were no police to assist in the accident the form can be found online (link below) or at any law enforcement post. The state requires this report only over a certain dollar amount, however if one party involved fills one out and one does not, the one that failed to fill will automatically get their license suspended. To prevent this frustrating and time consuming issue from occurring it is advisable to fill one out, maintain a copy and follow up by calling the DMV in Juneau at 907.465.4361 and confirm the information was complete and properly logged. If the accident was minor and is apparent the other party is at fault, they were sited by the police for example for failure to yield, and their Insurance is active, we recommend contacting us during business hours for us to document in your file and give advice. We will not file a claim unless there is a chance the other party’s Insurance has lapsed or the other Insurance company attempts to place blame on your behalf. Calling during business hours is considered reporting to your Insurance provider but without filling an actual claim it prevents loss of possible benefits or rewards to your account. Even filling a claim for a not at fault accident can cause a loss of a discount or accident forgives reward.
http://www.muni.org/iceimages/APD1/crash209.pdf