Unfortunately, each year, there are approximately nine million consumers fall victims to identity thieves. According to the Federal Trade Commission, as a result of identity theft, victims’ finances become disrupted, and their credit histories become damaged based as well.
One unwary way that identity theft can occur is during a car crash incident. According to a survey conducted by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), many Americans put their identities and safety at risk by sharing too much personal information following a car crash.
In his years of experience handling personal injury cases, a car accident attorney in Los Angeles has observed the people’s consistent behavior during car crash. “People tend to forget about protecting their privacy during a frightening car accident situation”, he said.
It is indeed necessary to understand what information to share to keep your identity safe after a car crash. The lawyer herein reminds that consumers only need to share their names, vehicle insurance information and the phone numbers of the insurance provider. “Consumers do not have to share their driver’s license number and home address,” he added.
Nevertheless, for their best interest, consumers need to know that having the entire car accident documented is very significant even if the crash appears to be minor. Forget about feeling overwhelmed, annoyed, frightened or vulnerable following a car crash since you need to focus on the documentation of the incident. Thereafter, don’t forget to contact your insurance company as well.
Below are several tips on how you could prevent identity theft during a car crash:
• It is okay to present your driver’s license but never go further into giving your license number and other personal information encrypted thereat.
• Never give your home address since sharing this information will only grant the identity thieves an access to your physical location of your mail and even garbage that are often used to spy on you. In addition, you are also putting your life and your family’s safety at risk.
• Never share your phone number. It is not necessary as long as they have your insurance provider’s phone number.
• Call the police even though nobody was injured from the accident. Having a police report can help in speeding up the insurance claim process.
