8 Steps to Follow After a Car Accident!

No matter how careful or vigilant you are while driving, there’sstilla chance for road accidents to occur. According to the statistics recorded by the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (MIROS), there were over five hundred thousand car accidents that happened last year alone, which is a disturbing increase from the previous year. This figure is a reason enough for you to learn the simple steps of what to do if you find yourself in this unfortunate situation.

Don’t know where to start? Below are 10 things you cando after getting into a car accident!

1. Personal safety first!

You’ve just been in a car accident. The first thing you should not do is panic because that would just make things worse. Instead, check your car and determine the severity of the car accident. If there’s immediate danger, you should immediately get yourself and your passengers (if any) out of your vehicle.

But If there’s no danger, you can proceed to asses yourself and your passengers (if any) for any physical injuries. If you suffer any injuries, you should seek immediate medical attention before doing anything else. Make sure to acquire copiesof your medical reportfor future claims purposes.

2. Move your car to a safe place

After making sure you’re uninjured, it’s time to get down to business. If your vehicle is in the middle of the road but your car can still be move safely, it is best for you to move it to the side of the road as this will free the road and allow other drivers to drive pass you.

However, make sure to take a couple of pictures of the whole accident prior to moving your car as this will help to ease your insurance claim later. Also, don’t forget to put on the emergency signals to indicate to the other drivers of your intention while you move your car to a safer location.

3. Assess the damage and take pictures

Next, step out of your car and start evaluatingyour car’s damages and the other driver’s damages as well. Is it bad or it’s just a light scratch? Remember to snap photos of everything and make sure to get a picture of the situation from all angles. If you sustain a visible injury, snap a picture of it too because all these will be useful if you plan to claim insurance.

But in order to do so, you need as much proof as possible before filing your claim. These pictures will support your claim and show your insurers a clear picture of the whole incident.

There might be a chance that the other driver would argue about the cause of the accident and wishes to file their own claim. Don’t worry! To make your claim stronger, you just need to take pictures of the damages to both vehicles and anything else that might be relevant to your case.

The most important thing is for you stay calm throughout the whole process because car accidents tend to make it easy for people to get emotional and throw accusations which doesn’t improve the situation at all.

4. Trade Information

This is where you exchange your basic information with the other driver. But what kind of particulars are required?

From the driver, you will need their vehicle’s registration number, the modal and color as well as their personal details such as names, addresses, IC numbers, number of their driving license and their contact number, in case your insurer would like to contact them for claiming validation purposes afterwards.

Also while you’re at it, don’t forget to jot down the other driver’s insurance particulars too, in case you need to file another claim to his insurance company after settling everything.

5. Claim or not to claim?

The next step is for you to decide if you want to claim your insurance. If both parties opt to not claim to respective insurances, you can settle it directly. This means that you both agreed on who’s at fault for the accident and the amount needed to be covered for the damages.

Please note that direct settlement is a good approach if there’s minor damages. If your car is a total wreck, it is advisable that you claim to your insurance.

However, if you do decide to claim insurance, the first thing you need to do is make an official report at the nearest police station.

6. Make a police report

This step should be taken if you’ve decided to make an insurance claim. Ensure that you file a police report within 24-hours of the accident because it is necessary for the process of insurance claiming. If not, your claim will not be entertained. Remember to ask for extra certified copies as you will need it to claim your insurance!

After filing the report, you have to wait until they have made a decision on whether you’re responsible or not for the accident.

If you are held responsible, you will be issued a summon by the police officer in-charge and you must pay the summon within a month.

Whether or not you wish to continue with claiming your insurance, you should report the accident to your insurer as soon as possible to inform them of your situation.

7. Still want to claim your insurance?

There’s a major factor you have to consider if you wish to claim insurance which is your No-Claim Discount (NCD). Depending on the severity of the damages, if your insurer has to pay for your loss, the no-claims bonus (NCB) in your policy will be affected and you have the chance of losing some or all of the bonuses.

But if the other party is found responsible, you might be able to claim without upsetting your NCB.

Now, if you want to go ahead and make a claim, write to your insurer as soon as you can. If you fail to do so, it may cause you to be accountable for any losses, including the other driver’s claims against you.

8. Fix Your Car

If your car needs repairing, you can consult your insurer for their nearest panel workshopso that you don’t have to worry about being cheated and it will help to smoothen the course of your claim insurance when you choose to do so.

Although, if you don’t want to claim anything, you can just bring your car to any general workshop.

However, not all car insurances have their own panel workshops. To find out which insurer have their own panel workshop, visit this website https://qompanion.my/car-insurance.

These are all the steps you need to know and if you have followed them thoroughly, you should have no problem and you can expect to go on with your life in no time!

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