What to do if you’re involved in a car accident

Know who to call, when to move and how photos can smooth the claims process

YOU MIGHT believe it’ll never happen to you, but accidents can, and do, happen.

Christelle Colman, the executive for high-net-worth solutions at Old Mutual Insure, gives the steps you need to take to put in an insurance claim against the damage.

1 Stay calm. Assess the extent of any injuries and the damage to the vehicle.

2 Call the police first, particularly if another party is involved or if someone has been injured.

3 Call roadside assistance. Most insurance policies include this type of aid and you should save the number of the contact centre to your phone (do it now). This means your vehicle will be towed to the correct destination (storage or a repairer). Be careful of unscrupulous tow- truck drivers. Some insurers limit what they will pay out if you don’t use their preferred towing provider.

4 Don’t leave the scene of the accident until the police arrive.

5 If your cellphone hasn’t been damaged, use it to take photographs of the damage to your car, the other driver’s identity document, even the person or tow truck taking away your car. It makes the claims process more comfortable.

6 Should you move your vehicle out of oncoming traffic? This depends on the severity of the accident. If you’re on a highway in peak morning traffic and just had a bumper bashing, try to move off the road. If it’s a severe accident, involving injuries and extensive damage, wait until the police arrive.

7 Never admit fault at the scene of an accident, nor blame the other party. If you are in shock or injured, you may not be in a fit state to make any assumptions. Insurance companies recover the damages from each other and if you admitted fault when you weren’t actually at fault, you compromise that process.

8 Submit your claim to your insurer as soon as possible after the accident – within 30 days. Make sure you have all the right documentation.

In South Africa, many roads are in poor condition and only 30% of all cars on the roads are insured. So when you are in an accident and you are not at fault, the chances are seven out of 10 that the other party has no insurance. When you submit a claim and the insurer can’t recoup the money from the uninsured party, your insurance record is compromised. You could lose your no-claim bonus and your premium could go up, says Colman.

If your car is not roadworthy at the time of an accident, your policy might not pay out. Have your tyres, brake pads and wiper blades checked regularly. Pay your premiums, and maintain your vehicle – and you shouldn’t have any issues putting in a claim. | Supplied