What Happens If You Get in an Accident The Day You Bought Car Insurance?

Accidents happen. That’s why we have insurance. However, what happens if you get into an accident on the same day you purchased your insurance policy? For most, this would seem like a nightmare scenario, but the reality is that this occurs all the time. As we said, accidents happen. We cannot always predict when they will occur, but somebody will experience a car accident the same day they get their insurance, and these are the steps they should take.

What You Should Do

If you purchased an insurance policy, any accident that occurs after you purchased the policy should be covered. This includes accidents that occur on the same day you purchased the policy. Please understand that buying insurance after a crash will not help at all. Insurance policies only cover incidents that occur after the policy becomes effective.

Let us assume that you, unfortunately, get into an accident the same day after purchasing your insurance policy. Yes, this could rightfully be defined as “bad luck,” but this is why we have insurance. Some of the steps you should take include:

Contacting the police

Law enforcement officials need to come to the scene of nearly every accident that occurs in Illinois. If you just purchased your insurance policy, it is going to be crucial to have an accident report to give to the insurance carrier. Insurance companies will look to make sure that the incident did indeed occur after the policy became effective. The best way to demonstrate this is to have an official government document (the police report) to hand over.

Prompt medical treatment

Any car accident victim should seek prompt medical treatment, even if the signs and symptoms of any injuries are not severe. It is not uncommon for injuries to get worse in the hours following a crash. Prompt medical treatment will help demonstrate to the insurance carriers that the injuries sustained did indeed occur in the accident.

Preserving evidence

At the scene of a crash, it may be possible to obtain and preserve some evidence. We encourage crash victims to use their phone or any other type of device with a camera to take photographs of property damage, injuries, license plate numbers, possible causes of the crash, debris and skid marks, and more.

Additionally, if there are any eyewitnesses to the incident, their names and contact information should be written down. These individuals may be able to provide valuable testimony to the insurance carriers or to a personal injury jury later on.

Make a note of any cameras you see in the vicinity that could have captured the incident on the footage. This includes cameras on nearby homes, businesses, traffic cams, or dashcams in other vehicles that stopped.

Contacting the insurance carrier

If you just purchased your insurance, you may not have a clear understanding of how to report incidents. Refer to your insurance policy welcome documents or go to the website of your insurance carrier. Often, there are mobile device apps for the insurance carriers that allow individuals to make claims promptly.

However, do not be too forthcoming with the insurance claims adjusters at first. Their goal is to limit how much compensation they pay you after an incident occurs. We encourage you to reach out to a skilled vehicle accident lawyer who can handle communication with your insurance carrier.