Car Accident Insurance claims | Road Traffic Accident claims India

What to do in case of Car Accident?

Car accident insurance claims begin with road traffic accident. Car accident is a road traffic incident which usually involves one road vehicle colliding with either another vehicle or a road user and which may result in injury or property damage, or possibly death. Accident can be of different nature, like for cars it can be due to collision or non collision.

Accidents can be very stressful and lead you to trauma. There is the fear about what impact the accident will have on your driving record and insurance. Such thoughts can make it hard to think clearly and respond properly. And if there are injuries, the stress can be amplified. But that's when a clear head and quick action are really crucial. First calm down, call for the police and seek advice from a solicitor, they usually offer good advice when approached by the affected party. There are different types of accident claims like the claims that can be made for road accident. The following are the checklist to be kept in mind when preparing to file road accident claim:

It is best to record and make a note of all the information that you can observe at the place where the accident took place. A keen observation will help you when making the claim. Give all the minute details when you are making the accident claim.
Make note of witnesses if there are any. It is helpful to collect the addresses and phone numbers of those who witnessed the accident, such eye witnesses can throw light on the cause of the accident.
Take the pictures of the place where the accident took place. Pictures of the accident site will always add weight to the claim. It will prove that you are right and the accident is a result of the negligence of the other party.
If you are injured in the accident the nature of the injury has to be recorded.
If the police personnel are available in the accident site it is important to collect the case number from them, if a case is registered. Also the insurance details of the other party have to be noted.
Calm down and go to the hospital after the accident to get treated and get the doctor's opinion about the nature of the injury.
Keep track of all the expenses that you have incurred as a result of the accident.
Another important advice on accident claims is the time frame to be kept in mind. The victim has to file the claim within a stipulated time period. Call your insurer or the agent to find more about claim procedure.

Just relax and take some time to file your claim. However it is advisable to watch out the level of loss. If the loss is on the higher side file the claim, but if it is nominal and almost close to the excess you need to pay, then avoid claiming to avail discounts your company will offer in the renewal.

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