One of the most unpleasant things you can be involved in is a car accident, no matter how minor it may be. It throws your thoughts completely upside down. At that stage, it won’t help to try and figure out what you should do and not do. Here’s a list of important items you should take careful note of, should you ever be involved in a minor car accident.
WHAT IS CONSIDERED TO BE A MINOR CAR ACCIDENT?
Obviously, when you have just had an accident, you don’t have the presence of mind to decide if the accident is a minor one or not. When does an accident stop being a minor one and start being a major one? According to a Wheels24 article of August 2017, if you have encountered a ‘fender bender,’ you are considered to have been in a minor car accident.
WHEN ARE MINOR CAR ACCIDENTS LIKELY TO OCCUR?
Minor accidents, by their very definition, have to be slow-speed crashes. At higher speeds, greater forces are at play, and injuries to car occupants and greater damage to cars are more likely. Minor accidents usually occur during periods of poor visibility, or rainy weather, when the roads are particularly slippery. Sudden braking can cause a car to skid and slide.
SOME IDEAS OF HOW TO HANDLE A MINOR CAR ACCIDENT
Whatever you do, try not to panic and drive off. This makes it a hit-and-run, which is a serious offence, which could land you in jail.
HELP IF ANYONE IS INJURED
Even though it’s a minor accident, the driver may have not have bothered to belt up, and hit his or her head into the windscreen, resulting in a minor head wound. To be on the safe side, call the emergency services anyway as a first priority. What may look sufficiently innocent in the beginning could somehow develop into a serious medical situation.
DO YOU HAVE IMMEDIATE ACCESS TO EMERGENCY NUMBERS?
By the way, why don’t you check your cell phone right away for any emergency numbers you may have? These would include numbers for contacting the ambulance services, the SAPS and any other type of emergency services. Often, time is of the essence, and it could be awful if you couldn’t get hold of such numbers immediately.
IF NO ONE IS HURT, AND DAMAGE IS LITTLE, WHAT THEN?
In such a scenario, clearly mark the positions of the cars with chalk or paint, and take photos if you can. Then, you and the third party can move the cars out of the way from any traffic. Remember though, that if someone is hurt, only a police officer may give permission to have the cars moved. The SAPS will not come out to the accident scene if no one is hurt.
REPORT THE ACCIDENT TO THE POLICE
Irrespective of whether anyone was hurt or not, always make a point of reporting an accident to the nearest police station within 24 hours. They will supply you with a reference number which your insurance company will need.
OTHER THINGS THAT YOU NEED TO DO
Obtain IDs, full names, addresses, email addresses and phone numbers of the other driver and any witnesses. Take photos of any damage done to your car, and the other car. If you can’t take pictures, record carefully the colour, make and model of the other car as well as the registration number. Take down details of any police officers and medics that arrived on the scene. Finally, don’t forget to record contact details of the tow truck driver.
REMOVE ALL VALUABLE CONTENTS FROM YOUR CAR
Carefully retrieve all valuable items from your car before it is taken away, otherwise you may never see them again.
WHAT NOT TO DO
Under no circumstances admit any liability to the other driver or to witnesses, as this could be later used against you as an admission of guilt, or may jeopardise your insurance claim.
KEEP IN MIND ANY POSSIBLE CRIMINAL CHARGES AND CIVIL CLAIMS
Remember that possible criminal charges and civil claims for one reason or another could be made against any of the parties involved.
AFTER THE ACCIDENT, KEEP CAREFUL RECORDS
When you get home after the accident, record anything and everything while it’s still fresh in your mind.
In the end, it’s your insurance company that not only deals with the settlement of the claim, but also sorts out any legal battles that may arise out of the accident. This huge advantage reminds one of how important car insurance really is. It saves you such ‘headaches.’
Disclaimer:
This article was prepared by Eric Sandmann in his personal capacity. The views and opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not reflect the views and opinions of Prime Meridian Direct (Pty) Ltd, FSP41040.The views and opinions in the article should not be attributed to anyone but the author unless expressly stated. Nothing in this article should be relied upon as advice, this publication is presented for informational purposes only. No person should act or refrain from acting in reliance on any information found in this article, without first obtaining proper financial advice from the appropriate professional. The author makes no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, or completeness, of any information linked from, referred to, or contained in this article. The author reserves the right, to edit and change the content of this article.
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