Involved In A Car Accident ? Do This

A report by the World Bank has recently revealed that 53 road accidents happen every hour in India, with death happening every minute. Whether it is the poor conditions of the road, insensitivity towards traffic norms, or a lack of basic road sense, car accidents are quite common in India. This is why you should know what to do in case you are involved in an unfortunate accident.

1. Stop the Car
   

   

   If you are unfortunately involved in a road accident, the first thing you should do is stop your vehicle and let things settle in. This is not just your legal obligation but also a moral one. Even if the accident isn’t a major one, do not flee away from the scene. Get out of the car if you can, take a deep breath, and try to remain as calm as possible and avoid any argument with the other party.

2. Look for Injuries
   

   

   Whether the accident you are involved in is big or small, the next important step is to look out for injuries. Check whether you or anyone else is injured. If yes, then gauge the level of injuries to determine whether you or anyone else needs medical help. If you have injured yourself, then make sure not to move around much. Do not panic and hold yourself together until help arrives.

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3. Call for Medical Help
   

   

   In case you or anyone else has sustained a minor injury, then the first thing to do is to provide first aid. Keep a First Aid kit in your vehicle’s glove box to deal with such unfortunate situations. If you or anyone else is seriously injured, unconscious or non-responsive, then immediately call for an ambulance by dialling the Ambulance service number 102 or the centralized emergency number 112.

4. Take Pictures of the Accident Scene
   

   

   After you have taken care of the injured, or you have settled in with the help of medical attention, make sure to click pictures of the damage sustained by your vehicle, and of the damage sustained by any third party. Make sure the pictures are clear and are taken from all angles. This will help you sail through the claim process without any hassle.

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5. Inform your Insurance Provider
   

   

   Call up your insurance service provider and then give them all the details about the accident to raise a claim at the earliest. Make sure to inform the insurance provider about the extent of damages sustained by your car as well as by the third party. If you happen to give any wrong information, your claim might get rejected, thus, stay honest.

6. Lodge an FIR
   

   

   To save yourself from complicated legal hassles, inform the police about the accident you were involved in at the earliest. File a First Information Report in case of a third-party insurance claim. Make sure to keep a copy of the FIR that will come in handy in your claim process. Again, stay honest and save yourself trouble in the long run.

7. Complete Claim Formalities
   

   

   Once you have already reported the accident to your insurance provider, go ahead and complete the claim process by submitting all relevant documents, such as:

   • A copy of the valid driving license
   • A copy of the Police FIR
   • Copy of car registration certificate (RC)
   • Copy of car insurance papers
   • Repair estimates

   Once you have submitted all documents, your insurance provider might send a surveyor who will estimate the extent of repair required. After the survey, the insurance provider will proceed to get your vehicle repaired at a partner garage. Once the repairs are done, your insurance company will settle the insurance claim. If the repair is done at a non-partner garage, then the company will reimburse the repair amount. However, in such a case, make sure to keep all the bills and payment receipts handy for an easy reimbursement process.

   So this was all about what you need to do in case of an accident. Stay pinned to the GoMechanic blog for everything autmoitve.

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