So you’ve been in a car crash. Now what?

It’s easy to fall into a state of shock when you get in a car accident, but there are things of varying degrees of urgency that you need to take care of. For that reason, and as long as you’re healthy, you need to have your wits about you.

Since it’s important to be prepared, we’re going to tell you exactly what you should do after a car accident, should it ever happen.

Move to Safety

Immediately after the crash occurs, you’ll want to get your car out of the way of traffic to prevent any further damage from occurring. As long as it’s still running, pull your car over to the shoulder of the highway or onto a side street and stop it.

Stop Your Vehicle and Check on Others Involved

Once you’ve got the car somewhere safe, turn it off and collect yourself. A lot of times, injuries aren’t obvious right away, so pat yourself down and check yourself out in your rear view mirror to make sure you’re okay.

If everything looks alright, you can get out and check on the person or people in the other car to ensure that they’re not hurt.

Notify Authorities

Call the appropriate authorities. If an ambulance is needed, call for one, but usually you’d just put in a call to the police. When the accident appears bad enough, the police, fire brigade, and an ambulance will likely all show up.

For minor accidents, the fire brigade will come for precaution and then leave you with the police to file the accident report with the other party.

Get Information and Document What Happened

You should always obtain the necessary information from the other party as well. You’ll need the driver and any passenger names, license plate numbers, the make and model of both vehicles, insurance information, contact info of eyewitnesses, and the names of the responding police officers.

If you think of it, it’s always good to have pictures from the scene of the accident when you’re filing your insurance claim. Then, you can get your car towed to a mechanic or auto body shop.

See a Doctor

You should always see a doctor regardless. Even if you’re feeling completely fine, lasting injuries can crop up down the road that might have an effect on your quality of life and ability to work. This would be important information for your insurance claim.

Make an Insurance Claim

You may want to talk to your insurer while you’re at the scene of the accident, just to find out what they want you to do. You can start the claims process right away and add details later.

Be Calm After a Car Crash

Following these tips will help you remain calm after a car crash. At the end of the day, as long as everyone involved is healthy and safe, you can take care of the fallout afterward.

To receive expert collision repair, contact Limerick Auto Body. We’ll pick up your car from the scene of the accident, then give you an inspection and an estimate. While we’re repairing your vehicle, we’ll arrange a rental for you and call your insurance company with the necessary info.

We take auto collision repair seriously; that’s why we like to go the extra mile to make sure you’re comforted in the aftermath of this stressful event.

Sometimes it’s the smallest bits of damage to your car that can be the most frustrating. Many car owners will leave “small” damages like dents or scratches because they assume it will cost too much to try and repair them.

They’d rather live with the imperfections than resolve the issue.

Fortunately, there are several simple ways to remove dents from your car without spending big bucks or lots of time. Check these out:

1. Take the Plunge

This one may garner some funny looks from your neighbors, but it’s sure to save you some major money. Run inside and grab your plunger.

This method works well for small to medium-sized dents and dings in your car.

It’s an effective alternative to taking your car in and having the paint removed and all kinds of unnecessary work done–work that costs.

The key is to wet both the dent and your plunger to get a good stick. They type of plunger you use does matter. A cup plunger works much better than the flange plungers commonly used for toilets.

Stick the plunger to over your dent and start plunging until the dent pops back into place.

2. Compressed Air and Hair

Well…hairdryers that is…

This method may sound like something you’d see at a 3rd-grade science fair, but it works like a charm. Put your hairdryer on maximum heat and blow that hot air directly onto your medium-sized dent.

The hot air will cause the plastic to expand.

Once you’ve done this for a few minutes, grab your can of compressed air and point it (upside-down), at the dent and spray. As the cold air from the compressed air can is blown on the expanded plastic, the dent will pop out.

It’s basic science at work.

3. Dry Ice

Similar to the compressed air can and hairdryer method, dry ice works in a similar way on small dents.

Wearing protective gloves, hold a small piece of dry ice onto the dent. After a few moments, tiny dents should pop right back into place. If needed, you can use the hairdryer on the dent first and then apply the dry ice.

4. Boiling Water

If the damage to your car is severe, your best bet may be to bring it to a reliable auto body repair shop. However, if the dents are small to medium-sized, this is another effective method for doing it yourself.

If your dent is on the bumper of your car, boil some water and pour it onto the dented area. The heat of the water will make the bumper more malleable so you can reach behind the bumper and pop the dented plastic back into place.

Be sure to pop it back quickly after the water has been poured on as the heat’s effect will only last until the car cools off again.

5. A Suction Tool

When all else fails, but you’re still set on getting the dent out yourself, you can try a suction tool. Hardware stores or even some auto body shops may sell dent-removal kits or suction tools.

These can be used at less cost than taking your car in and having paint removed.

More Ways to Remove Dents

Unfortunately, to remove dents yourself may not always be possible. Some damage is too severe to handle on your own without causing further damage to your vehicle.

When this is the case, turn to the experts. Contact the professionals at Limerick Auto Body today for all your car care needs.