Have you or any loved one ever met with a car accident? Following a car accident, the aftermath may be frightening and stressful. Primarily, ensuring you and your family remain safe is important. The next thing you would probably need is reimbursement of your car insurance.
But are you aware of how to claim your insurance? This article will outline everything one must do after a car accident in Australia. The paragraphs below will discuss the 8 steps after a car accident.
8 Steps To Take Immediately After A Car Accident
In this car accident guide, you will learn about the things to do after a car accident. Follow the steps below to ensure the least damage is caused after such situations.
1. Stay Calm
Without question, getting into your first vehicle accident may be extremely stressful, upsetting, and terrifying. Even a small vehicle collision might trigger an emotional trauma and fight-or-flight reaction. But, you must maintain composure and apply common sense since your next actions will impact your ability to recoup your losses.
2. Assess the situation
The first concern is ensuring the safety of all those involved in the accident. Gently see if anyone is hurt or in danger of becoming hurt. If someone has been injured, dial triple zero (000) to reach the police and ambulance. You also require police intervention if either a car has significant damage or you are obstructing traffic. You can also seek the car roadside assistance, if possible.
3. Order a Tow Truck
You must schedule a tow truck if your automobile is unsafe to drive. If your insurance covers it, you may also ask them to set up a tow truck for your vehicle.
Before having your automobile taken away, make sure any valuables are removed. If unintentional damage renders your vehicle dangerous, the tow truck will tow it away. You can also call a 24-hour mobile mechanic in Adelaide.
4. Ensure Your Safety
At the site of an accident, you will need to do certain activities regardless of your level of preparation. Depending on the severity of your automobile collision, after the accident, what to do includes the following.
Following a collision, your initial priorities should be safety-related. Before doing anything else, you must stop and offer your assistance. Making sure you and everyone around you are safe should be your top priority. This includes other drivers, pedestrians, and anyone involved in the collision.
If there is a risk of chemicals or fire, clear the area, remove any debris, and take all necessary precautions to lessen the likelihood of another collision. Having traffic cones on hand can help with this. Additionally, confirm that your engine is off and no fire is around.
5. Collect Information
In a traffic collision, you are required by law to pull over and give your personal information to the other motorist, all other participants, and the owner of any damaged property. Failing to do so and fleeing the scene of an accident are crimes. In every other Australian state, this is likewise the situation. It is the other driver’s responsibility to provide you with the following information:
- Name
- Address
- Phone Number
- Insurer
- Registration Number
- The model/Make/Color of the car
- The Vehicle owner’s name
- Their driver’s license number or other form of government-issued ID
- The vehicle owner’s address
Additionally, you should contact the police as soon as possible if the other car driver refuses to provide you with any information at the site of the collision. They will inquire further. Record the accident’s date, location, and closest cross street as quickly as you can. These specifics may occasionally become more difficult to recall as time goes on.
Obtaining information from anyone who saw the accident with their own eyes is also beneficial. If it’s safe, you should also take pictures of the accident scene to record the damage.
6. Speak to Witnesses
It might be wise to approach any witnesses to the collision and request their contact information. This information might be useful if the other person contests your account of what happened or who was at fault.
7. Take Pictures and Video of the Damage
You are advised to capture photos and recordings of the automobiles involved after a traffic collision. The actions you should take to take a picture of the damage are as follows. Take many pictures of every car involved in the collision from various perspectives, ensuring to capture any damage to the vehicle’s front, rear, sides, or roof. Take pictures of any evident injuries as well. Record the whole accident site and its surroundings on camera. Be sure to capture the following:
- Skid marks on the road.
- The accident location.
- Position of the vehicles involved in the accident.
- Location of the traffic lights and road sign.
- Take the video of the witness with their permission, if possible.
8. Contact Your Insurer
Contact your insurance company as soon as possible to discuss the circumstances of the accident. Give them the information you gathered on the spot and the photos you took so they can begin to assess your claim. The outcome of the claim will depend on several factors, including who was at fault, your type of insurance, and whether or not the other driver is covered.
Conclusion
In addition to assessing the situation for potential risk, implementing the necessary safety precautions and coordinating with all relevant parties is crucial. You should think about whether calling the police is necessary. When someone is hurt or accidentally killed, when someone is under the influence of drugs or alcohol, when property is harmed, when someone refuses to provide information, or when someone is acting aggressively, police may need to be involved. Call for a mobile mechanic repair near you. To do the same, search for a mechanic’s mobile or a mobile roadside assistance near me on Google.
