While none of us would like to see ourselves in a situation like this, it is a reality we need to always prepare for in case the unfortunate incident befalls us. Accidents happen at anytime and can be for the most unpredictable reasons.

Should you find yourself in this unfortunate circumstance, would you know what to do?

If you have had this unfortunate encounter, chances are you have been through the entire process. For the first timers, the most important thing to do is remain calm and be cooperative to minimise unpleasantries.

Once you have established that both drivers are alright, what should you do from here?

Step-by-Step

Step 1 – Make a police report at the closest traffic police station in accordance to the district the accident occurred. Ensure the report is done within 24 hours of the accident.

Step 2 – Send your car to the workshop and leave it there for repairs. If the damages to the car is minor and it is still in driving condition, you may continue to use the car until it is time for repairs and assessment when you will have to bring the car back in to the workshop.

Step 3 – Inform the insurer of the accident and the intention to make a claim. To file for a claim, it is vital you inform the insurer seven days from the date of accident or within 30 days if you were hospitalised (this is to avoid any issues from prohibiting your claims – also note that these rules may differ from insurer to insurer, do check your policy to ensure you are within the guidelines).

Step 4 – Collect the results from the police investigation. This is the point where it states who exactly was at fault during the accident. This is important as the innocent party’s NCD (No Claim Discount) will not be affected whilst the one at fault will have to foot the repair bills and lose their NCD.

Step 5 – Submit the police investigation results back to the insurer to be processed. To process the claim, insurers will then send an adjuster to review the damages of the motor vehicle. (If you had previously opted to continue driving your car, you would have to bring the car back in at this point.)

Step 6 – Upon approval of the assessed damages, the workshop will then be informed of the approval to fix your car.

Step 7 – When the workshop is done working on your car, you should head down to the workshop and inspect the repairs. If you find the repairs done up to your satisfaction, you may then sign off and will have no further claim towards any further repairs should you find any after.

Step 8 – Claim for “loss of use”. Loss of use is compensation paid to you for the inconvenience you experience while not having your car. Request the workshop to prepare a letter stating the days required to fix your car and total of days the car was in the workshop. The insurer will then provide you with a compensated amount upon processing relevant details.

Be Safe

The steps above work as a guideline and do not take into account if it is a third party coverage, comprehensive, under insuring the vehicle and other factors that may change the process.

As much as we generally hope you would never have to use this guide, it would be of great use to ensure you are well informed of what to do.

Do browse through our page to make your comparisons, obtain an estimate or simply sign up for a motor insurance.

If you have an interesting story to share with us about when making your claims, do drop us a line in the comments section below and tell us how it all went.

 

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