What do I do in a traffic accident?

The law requires police agencies to investigate traffic accidents that result in injury or damage to property in excess of one thousand dollars. For most vehicles on the road today, you would be surprised at the relative small amount of visible damage one thousand dollars entails. The following are a few tips to follow if you are involved in a traffic accident. For further questions, contact us at  For further questions, contact us at 972-625-1887.

  • On busy roads with relative minor damage, and no injuries, move the vehicles out of the lane of traffic. Passing motorists may not be watching the road and the potential for a secondary collision is high.
  • Notify police immediately. With the large number of cellular telephones on the road, the accident will most likely have already been reported. Be sure to ask someone to call the police for you just to be sure. Be sure of your actions taken if you decide to work the accident out between you and the other driver without the police. Once you have both left the accident scene, the ability to investigate the accident including identification of contributing factors is minimized.
  • Responding police and fire personnel will first and foremost provide necessary aide to any injured persons. Additional police personnel will control traffic movement to prevent any secondary or subsequent collisions.
  • A The Colony Police officer who responds to the accident will interview all parties involved, including witnesses, to begin the initial investigation. An inspection of any signals will also be done to eliminate the possibility of a malfunction as a cause.
  • The officer investigating the accident will give the drivers involved an Accident Information Sheet to provide immediate access to information most needed by insurance carriers to file a claim.
  • The officer will remain on the scene until a tow truck arrives, and accommodations have been made for both you and your vehicle.

Don't be dissuaded in filing an accident report trying to keep it off of your driver's license history. Even if the accident is not your fault, your driver's license history will show an "accident." However, it is better to explain the circumstances surrounding the accident to your insurance carrier, than to have false information given by the other driver who has now vanished leaving you with no recourse available.

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4. What do I do in a traffic accident?
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