Car Wreck Preparedness

by | Auto Insurance Info, Safety | 0 comments

Car accidents happen.

Whether it’s a fender bender or a pileup, your fault or someone else’s, they just happen.

So when we talk about preparedness during National Preparedness Month, car wrecks should be on your list of scenarios for which you are prepared and ready.

Because how you act following a car wreck won’t just affect the Insurance Claims process, it could affect the safety and security of yourself, your property and your identity.

Did you know that sharing some personal information could put you at risk for identity theft following a car accident?

Check out this information from a 2012 National Association of Insurance Commissioners survey:

  • Thirty-eight percent of consumers believed they should share their driver’s license number with the other driver — one in six would even allow the other driver to photograph the license as a convenient way to exchange information.
    • So what’s the risk? Many retailers accept driver’s license information to verify your identity over the phone. In fact, your license number is the most common way to confirm your identity after Social Security number and date of birth.
  • Twenty-five percent of consumers surveyed said they would share their home address.
    • So what’s the risk? Actually, your home address gives identity thieves the physical location of your mail or garbage, the first place criminals often look for personal financial information. And, now a stranger knows where you live, possibly putting your personal safety at risk.
  • Twenty-nine percent of survey respondents believed they are required to share personal phone numbers. In fact, sharing your phone number is rarely necessary.

 

To help you take some of the guesswork out of what to share and what to safeguard following an accident, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners released an app for Smartphones called The WreckCheck App. 

  • It’s free of charge!
  • Works for iPhones and Android phones
  • Outlines what to do following an accident
  • Walks you through process of creating accident reports
  • Tells you which pictures to take
  • Helps document damage
  • Assists in attaining and sharing only necessary information
  • Allows you to email completed reports to yourself or Us (your insurance company!)

For more information on how to download or use the WreckCheck App, click here. 

No smartphone? No worries. NAIC offers downloadable checklists and tips here.

 

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