Sunday, May 27, 2012

Things to do when involved in a traffic accident

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What to do at the accident scene

After involved in a traffic accident on 17 May 2012 and some bad experience with the person that hit onto my car. I would like to share my experience with you so when you are involved in a traffic accident (When someone bump onto your car).

Here are some of the things to take note of when you involved in an accident with a local registered vehicle and you WANT to claim the party for the cost of repair due to the damage incurred.
  1. DO NOT MOVE your vehicle. Get off your car STRAIGHT AWAY and take a photo of the accident scene. REMEMBER: You must try to take a photo that can be of evidence that it is the other party BUMP onto you. DO NOT focus on taking photo of the damage! YOUR MAIN AIM is to take a photo that can prove that you are NOT AT FAULT.

  2. If the person admit that it is his or her fault, get a piece of paper and a pen to ask that person to write down and SIGN. (This was advised by my insurance agent)

  3. INSIST on getting the person personal details. (DO NOT care what the other party says just INSIST)
    1. NRIC Number
    2. Mobile Number
    3. Full Name
    4. Insurance Company

  4. Report the accident to IDAC (Accident Reporting Center) within 24 hours. You will be asked to sketch and write a report. Be as detailed as possible.

  5. The other party will also need to make a report within 24 hours. This is optional. You can contact GIA to buy the other party report. GIA Hotline is 6221-8788 or 6221-8789. After you buy the report, you will know what the other party reported.

  6. Your insurance company will be informed of the incident. You will have to wait for your insurance company to contact you whether your 3rd party claim is successful or not.
* I suggest that you print out a copy of the above steps and place it inside your car. It will serve as a guideline and reminder to you when you really involved in a traffic accident.


CONCLUSION

DO NOT, I REPEAT, DO NOT flare up and scold the party. This will put you in a difficult position if the other party make a police report. This is being charged as "ROAD Bully" and you may be jailed.

Remember, your main purpose of taking photos and/or videos is to prove that you are not the party that caused the accident. Why I say so? The reason is simple. 95% of time, the party that caused the accident WILL NOT admit his fault. The other party will probably distort the information during his visit to the Accident Reporting Center when he report about the accident.

Therefore, the purpose of the photo and/or video is for the insurance company to see the REAL CAUSE and not base on both parties reports.

Although I CANNOT GUARANTEE that your 3rd party claim can be successful, it is always better to be safe than to be sorry.

I hope this post can be of great help all drivers out there. Especially, those who just recently gotten the license. You are new to the road and there are a lot of people to bully you on the road.

5 comments:

Guy Chambliss said...

In addition, if you were injured in the accident, try to document it. It will come in handy, when you claim for just compensation for your injuries. Consult a personal injury lawyer if the conditions for an accident claim are met. And I agree, taking pictures of the damage of both cars would be a good way to record details of the event.

SG Replica said...

Haha, thanks for the information! Let's share information to other drivers :)

Javier Hoppes said...

Here’s a piece of advice: If you find yourself in an accident, the first thing you should do is see if you are still capable of doing the tips above. Remember that your health is of the utmost importance in these cases. Also, you can ask for compensation for any injuries you might have received. That is in addition to the compensation for the damages caused to your property.

Tracy Pierre said...

Keep your emotions in control and avoid any confrontation with the offending party. Call the police right away to help you sort out the situation. In situations like this, it is best that you call the authorities to mediate, and let whoever the offender is to face the consequences of his or her wrongful action.

-Tracy Pierre

Unknown said...

First and foremost, when you are involved in a car accident, do check yourself first to see if you’re hurt. After that, you can do the above listed tips. Always take pictures for evidence and call the authorities right away. Stay calm and think clearly amidst the unfortunate event that you found yourself into.

-Collin Deck