Accidents
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Accidents
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Safety
First
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The
most important thing is to remain at the scene of an accident
if your vehicle is involved. Send others for help especially
if you are injured.
Worry
first about the passengers in the vehicles and their immediate
safety. Turn off ignition switches to avoid a risk of fire.
Do not attempt to move seriously injured persons unless their
vehicle is on fire.
Wait
for the police and ambulances to arrive. (If you are in a
remote area and there are significant injuries, attempt to
minimize bleeding or administer CPR if necessary).
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What to Do Next
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- Get
important information at the scene.
In addition to getting information from other drivers, be sure
to get at least the names and phone number of any witnesses
or people who stopped to help.
Print out the Accident
Checklist and Accident
Report forms on this page and keep them with your vehicle's
registration papers in your glove box. These forms provide a
helpful "fill in the blanks" record of the information you need
to obtain.
- Share
only pertinent information at the scene.
Provide your driver's license, registration, and contact information
only to the other drivers, injured persons, or police officers.
Do NOT discuss the circumstances of the accident with anyone
except the police. Do NOT discuss responsibility with anyone
except a positively identified representative of your insurance
company.
- Complete
an Accident Record.
Write down everything you can remember about the accident. Include
as many details as possible. Revisit the scene at a later time
if necessary to take pictures.
- Report
the accident to the Department of Motor Vehicles.
Washington State Law requires that all accidents involving injury/death
or property damage in excess of $500.00 be reported within
ten (10) days to the Department of Motor Vehicles.
- Notify
your Insurance Agent immediately.
Date
& Time Called: ___________________________________________
Write
your Claim No. here: ______________________________________
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Towing
the Vehicle
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City, county, and state police have a call list of towing
operators that are approved by the State to tow from limited
access highways and from county streets. These operators are
licensed and bonded and experienced in towing late model vehicles
to preclude further damage to your car.
Most
automobile insurance policies include a nominal "towing" coverage,
but you should be advised that the allowances provided in
coverage do not always pay the towing bill in full. If your
car is being towed long distances off the interstate, at odd
hours, or in extreme weather conditions, there may be legitimate
additional charges from the towing operator that may not be
covered by your towing allowance.
If
you are having your car towed to World Auto Body
Center, do not worry
about the tow bill. Tell the tow truck operator to tow the vehicle
to one of our locations and we will pay the tow bill and add it
to your repair bill.
Resolving
liability and insurance coverage can take several days and in
some serious accidents may take longer. Some towing operators
and repair facilities charge a daily storage fee on your car while
it is waiting to be repaired and these charges can add up quickly.
It's important to note that World Auto Body Centers do NOT charge
storage fees for vehicles towed to our properties while you are
waiting for resolution on who is responsible for repairing your
car.
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Contacting
Insurance
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As soon as possible after any accident, you should contact
your insurance company or agent. You should be aware that
your insurance company may record your telephone call or verbal
report of what happened - and you should always request a written
transcript of your statement for your personal records. Your
insurance company must provide this transcript to you upon
request and without charge.
It
may take your insurance company/agent several days to get
back to you with a claim number. The claim number is
very important: Be sure to write it down, and repeat it back
to the agent to verify that you copied it correctly. In general,
when an insurance company assigns a claim number, they have
accepted liability. If your insurance company takes longer
than a week to assign a claim number, or is not forthcoming
on the reasons for the delay, you may wish to consult an attorney
to further protect your rights.
Reputable
collision repair facilities will require a claim number to begin
repair of your vehicle. Be wary of companies offering to begin
repairs without the proper paperwork.
It
is not advisable to accept a settlement check from your insurance
company or the insurance company of another driver involved
the accident, until you are certain that it covers all the
necessary repairs to your vehicle. If you are being pressured
by an insurance company to settle prior to receipt of detailed
repair estimates, you may wish to consult an attorney.
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Uninsured
Motorists
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Even
though Washington State laws and the laws of many other states
prohibit driving a vehicle without auto insurance, people do drive
without insuranceevery day. If you are involved in an accident
with an uninsured motorist and they are at fault, your
only recourse for liability and payment is legal actiona
costly and time-consuming alternative.
In
the meantime, any repairs to your vehicle, the need for rental
or loaner cars, and other expenses will be something you will
have to pay out of personal funds and hope to recoup later.
The
best advicemake sure you have Uninsured Motorist Coverage
for every vehicle listed on your automobile insurance policy.
Uninsured Motorist Coverage provides policy coverage for both
personal injuries and property damage. The cost of this coverage
is minimal and the peace of mind it provides is invaluable.
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Rental Cars
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You will also want to check your automobile
policy to see if you have "rental car" coverage. If not, you may
personally have to pay for alternative transportation while your
car is being repaired. If you do have rental car coverage, there
is generally a set "cap" or policy limit that may not adequately
cover the length of time that you're going to need a car until
your vehicle is repaired.
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THREE
LOCATIONS TO SERVE YOUR COLISSION NEEDS
San Diego
/ Miramar Rd
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North County
/ Encinitas
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East County
/ El Cajon
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8449 Mira Crest Place
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140 N Highway 101
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187 North Marshal
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San Deigo, CA 92121
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Encinitas, CA 92024
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El Cajon. CA 92020
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858-535-9293
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760-753-0035
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619-444-6555
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