You’ve been in an accident - what now?
Being involved in a car crash is a likelihood that nobody likes to contemplate. But as the saying goes, accidents do happen - and it is important to know what to do in the minutes thereafter.
Here’s a short ‘check list’ of how you can turn your cellphone into a very important documentary tool that is likely to assist in any insurance claims or disputes with other parties.
• The positions of vehicles, from far enough away to show how and where they came to rest, relative to the roadway and any substantial features in the immediate area.
• The general scene, including all vehicles and elements if possible, from all available elevated positions, structures or higher vehicles, preferably showing the whole scene.
• The four sides and four corners of each vehicle from far enough away to show the whole side or the two sides forming a corner.
• The damages to each vehicle or trailer, from at least three angles and from a higher angle, from far enough to show the vehicle clearly and from close enough to show the damages properly, if possible.
• The licence discs and/or licence plates, signage, branding and the make and model of each vehicle and all trailers involved.
• The vehicle/s of attending services (law enforcement unit/s, ambulances and/ or fire services, towing and recovery units) and any other services and private vehicles present.
• Any road surface evidence such as scratch marks, gouges, deposits and fluid spills, tyre marks, debris or any other relevant visible evidence from multiple sides - at beginning, end and along the length - and in relation to the scene as a whole.
• Any obstructions, road closures, roadworks, road markings, signs, mile markers, unique features or traffic or pedestrians at the scene - from multiple angles.
• Driving licences, ID documents, passports or other identification or business cards of all involved drivers, passengers, witnesses or involved parties, as far as possible.