Print and leave in your car glove box !No doubt you are all wonderful drivers but you don’t know who is on the road with you!
We’ve had some minor road accidents notified recently where some of our clients have been unsure what steps to take in the immediate aftermath of a road traffic accident, the following are some steps that you should take to allow the right course of action to follow..
1. Try to remain as calm as possible….
Immediately after the road traffic accident if you are not seriously hurt you will most likely go through a range of emotions over a very short period, it’s important to remain calm and give yourself an opportunity to make the right decisions. Your safety is paramount and you want to make sure that you are not endangering yourself by making a rash decision. It is advisable to seek medical attention and/or medical assessment shortly after and accident. Even if you feel in the best of health afterwards some conditions can take a few days to materialise and what might seem like innocuous pain could lead to something more significant further down the line.
2. Never admit guilt at the scene….
Despite the natural urge to apologise if you feel you are in the wrong the advice is to never admit any guilt in the aftermath of an accident. The reason being is despite you feeling like the one who is to blame on some level for the accident; the reality is that you might not legally be at fault for the situation. Apologising can be seen as an admission of guilt
3. Contact the Gardai and obtain a Garda Motor Accident Report...
It is advisable that you contact the Gardai following an accident. The Garda report is an important document to have when claiming from a motor insurance policy. It will also provide you with some protection against a third party attempting to change a story in the period after an accident
4. Take contact details of witnesses....
Provided you are well enough to do so it is advisable to take the contact details of any witnesses to the accident. They could provide some important evidence for you down the line if needed.
5. Take Photographs/Video Footage (Use your smart phone)....
Again provided you are fit and well enough to do so, use the capabilities of your smart phone to take photographic and video evidence of the aftermath of the road traffic accident. Vehicle positions post accident and their position in relation to road markings are important indicators when apportioning blame.
6. Exchange Insurance details...
Its important to note the insurance details of the other vehicle(s) involved in a road traffic accident as well as contact details for the drivers. Again you use your smartphone to take pictures of the insurance disc and driving licences if agreed by the third parties.
7.Contact Your Insurance Company...
Always contact your insurance company and / or insurance broker for advice and as a means of notification of a road traffic accident. Don’t leave this go too long, insurance companies do not like late notification of any incident that could give rise to a claim.
8. Don’t be too hard on yourself...
Being vigilant on the road goes without saying but accidents do happen and if you are unfortunate to be involved in one be thankful that you are not seriously hurt. A common emotion after an accident is to feel very down and to feel like an idiot but don’t be too hard on yourself. They happen everyday.
9. Don’t leave out any of the above steps....
For any questions or queries get in touch with us http://challenge.ie/privatemotorinsurance
For more information on road safety visit http://www.rsa.ie/en/RSA/Road-Safety
We’ve had some minor road accidents notified recently where some of our clients have been unsure what steps to take in the immediate aftermath of a road traffic accident, the following are some steps that you should take to allow the right course of action to follow..
1. Try to remain as calm as possible….
Immediately after the road traffic accident if you are not seriously hurt you will most likely go through a range of emotions over a very short period, it’s important to remain calm and give yourself an opportunity to make the right decisions. Your safety is paramount and you want to make sure that you are not endangering yourself by making a rash decision. It is advisable to seek medical attention and/or medical assessment shortly after and accident. Even if you feel in the best of health afterwards some conditions can take a few days to materialise and what might seem like innocuous pain could lead to something more significant further down the line.
2. Never admit guilt at the scene….
Despite the natural urge to apologise if you feel you are in the wrong the advice is to never admit any guilt in the aftermath of an accident. The reason being is despite you feeling like the one who is to blame on some level for the accident; the reality is that you might not legally be at fault for the situation. Apologising can be seen as an admission of guilt
3. Contact the Gardai and obtain a Garda Motor Accident Report...
It is advisable that you contact the Gardai following an accident. The Garda report is an important document to have when claiming from a motor insurance policy. It will also provide you with some protection against a third party attempting to change a story in the period after an accident
4. Take contact details of witnesses....
Provided you are well enough to do so it is advisable to take the contact details of any witnesses to the accident. They could provide some important evidence for you down the line if needed.
5. Take Photographs/Video Footage (Use your smart phone)....
Again provided you are fit and well enough to do so, use the capabilities of your smart phone to take photographic and video evidence of the aftermath of the road traffic accident. Vehicle positions post accident and their position in relation to road markings are important indicators when apportioning blame.
6. Exchange Insurance details...
Its important to note the insurance details of the other vehicle(s) involved in a road traffic accident as well as contact details for the drivers. Again you use your smartphone to take pictures of the insurance disc and driving licences if agreed by the third parties.
7.Contact Your Insurance Company...
Always contact your insurance company and / or insurance broker for advice and as a means of notification of a road traffic accident. Don’t leave this go too long, insurance companies do not like late notification of any incident that could give rise to a claim.
8. Don’t be too hard on yourself...
Being vigilant on the road goes without saying but accidents do happen and if you are unfortunate to be involved in one be thankful that you are not seriously hurt. A common emotion after an accident is to feel very down and to feel like an idiot but don’t be too hard on yourself. They happen everyday.
9. Don’t leave out any of the above steps....
For any questions or queries get in touch with us http://challenge.ie/privatemotorinsurance
For more information on road safety visit http://www.rsa.ie/en/RSA/Road-Safety