TLDR
Photograph far more than the damage, get a claim number the same day, and do not agree to a repair facility on the phone before you have chosen one.
After an RV or van accident, ensure safety, document the scene thoroughly with photographs from multiple distances, exchange information, report to your carrier promptly, and choose your own repair facility rather than accepting the first one suggested.
In the First Hour
- Confirm everyone is safe and move out of traffic if the vehicle is drivable and it is safe to do so.
- Call for police and medical assistance as circumstances require, and get a report number.
- Photograph the scene before anything moves, including vehicle positions, road conditions, and signage.
- Photograph the damage from four distances: whole vehicle, whole panel, damage area, and close detail.
- Photograph the other vehicle, its plate, and its damage.
- Exchange insurance and contact information and note any witnesses.
- Do not discuss fault. State facts only.
What Owners Consistently Fail to Photograph
The scene photographs almost everybody takes. The ones that turn out to matter later are the ones almost nobody takes.
- The undamaged side of the vehicle, which establishes pre loss condition.
- The interior, including any shifting or damage from the impact.
- The roof, particularly after any strike or rollover.
- Under the vehicle at the impact side, where structural damage shows first.
- Slide rooms and bay doors both open and closed, which documents whether openings still seat correctly.
- Any aftermarket equipment, conversion work, or upgrades affected by the incident.
- The odometer and dash, which timestamps condition.
In the First Few Days
- Report promptly: Get a claim number even if you are undecided about proceeding. Late reporting is a common basis for dispute.
- Choose your own shop: Your carrier may suggest a direct repair facility. California law gives you the choice. Make it deliberately rather than by default.
- Ask about loss of use: Ask in writing whether your policy includes loss of use, rental, or storage. Many owners never ask and never receive it.
- Do not authorize repairs before an estimate: Get the vehicle assessed by a shop that works on your class routinely before anything is disassembled or repaired.
- Keep everything: Receipts, correspondence, the police report, and every photograph. Claims are won on documentation.
The Expensive Mistakes
- Cleaning or repairing anything before it is documented, which destroys the evidence of what happened.
- Accepting a quick settlement before teardown has revealed what is actually damaged.
- Assuming you must use the carrier recommended shop.
- Letting the claim close before quality control has confirmed nothing was missed.
- Failing to document conversion or aftermarket work, which then gets valued at zero.