The first things to do after a collision, before calling a shop

Hey folks! This is Mike and Tom from Pacific One Collision and Restoration.

Welcome to another Q&A session where I answer questions from you all on the internet.

Today's question is:

"The first things to do after a collision, before calling a shop"

Summary:

Mike stresses that the very first priority after any collision is the safety of everyone involved, not the vehicle. He advises checking on all impacted people, calling 911 if police or an ambulance is needed, and, when possible, moving out of the way to protect both the accident victims and surrounding traffic. Once safety is handled and police arrive, drivers should have their key documents ready: insurance, photo ID, and registration. His core message is that cars and vehicles can always be fixed or replaced, but people cannot, so confirming everyone is safe and okay comes before anything else when an auto accident happens.

Answer:

Before an accident, or right when an accident happens, the very first thing you should do is check the safety of everybody that's been impacted by the accident. Make sure everybody's okay. If there's any police or ambulances needed, get on the phone with 911. The second thing is, if possible, you should try to get out of the way. That's going to be critical for the safety of the others traveling around you, to make sure that they're not in danger, as well as the people that were in the accident. When the police get there, obviously make sure you have all of your information ready, and that would be insurance, photo ID, and registration. Those are all of critical importance. But the key here, the number one thing anytime you get into an accident, is making sure that everybody is safe and okay. That's the very first thing. The cars can be fixed, vehicles can be repaired, but people are the most important thing anytime you have an auto accident.