10 Steps to Follow After a Car Accident In India
No matter how carefully you drive, accidents can happen in the blink of an eye.
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10 Things You Should Do After a Car Accident in India
Car accidents are quite common due to the poor condition of roads and transport infrastructure in the country. According to a report by the World Bank, "There are 53 road accidents every hour and 1 death every four minutes in India".
These stats highlight the importance of a car insurance policy for your car. Moreover, it also becomes imperative for us to have proper knowledge of the things to do after a car accident. Here is a list of 10 steps that you can follow after a car accident in India:
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Stop the Car
When you are involved in a car accident, you must first stop at the scene as this is a legal obligation to follow. Even if the accident is a minor one, do not run away from the accident spot as doing so may lead to legal proceedings against you. Moreover, try to remain as calm as possible and avoid any irrational argument with the other driver.
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Look Out for Any Injury
The next thing that you need to do is to check whether anyone is seriously injured in the accident. Make sure to first examine yourself for any injury and look out for others. Assess the level of injury of the people who were involved in the accident. Also, assess whether any third party has sustained an injury so that you can claim the payable compensation amount under third party car insurance.
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Get Medical Help
In case of minor injuries, you can provide first aid to the injured as soon as possible. Your car comes with a basic first aid kit that you can use for minor injuries. If anyone is seriously injured or non-responsive, call up an ambulance immediately. Make sure to look after your body as well and seek medical advice if necessary.
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Intimate Your Insurance Company
After you have taken care of the injured, inform your car insurance company about the accident. Immediately call your insurer and inform them about the accident so that a claim can be registered at the earliest. Give them detailed information about the own damages sustained by your car as well as third party damages if any. Make sure to give every single piece of information honestly as giving any wrong information may lead to claim rejection.
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File a Police FIR
To avoid any legal complications, inform the police about the car accident as soon as possible. You will also be required to file a First Information Report (FIR) in case of a third party car insurance claim settlement process. Also, make sure to keep a copy of the Police FIR that you can submit to the insurance company during the car insurance claim process.
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Take Pictures
Take photos of the damages caused at the place of the accident for the insurance company to get a clearer picture. Click pictures of the damages sustained by the insured car, third party property damages as well as the accident spot. Make sure that the photos are clear and have been taken from all angles so that the damages are clearly visible in the pictures. Doing so ensures that the claim is settled without much hassle.
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Submit Documents
Once you have reported the incident, you will be required to submit a few documents to file a claim under your car accident policy. The documents that are required in case of a car accident are:
- 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
Make sure to keep all these documents handy and submit them when required for a faster car insurance claim settlement.
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Get Your Car Repaired
Before proceeding with the actual repairs, the insurance company may send a surveyor who will estimate the extent of repairs required by the insured car. After this, you can get your car repaired in the authorized network garage of the insurance company. The towing facility for the damaged car will be provided by the insurance company itself. You can also get your car repaired at a non-authorized garage and raise a reimbursement claim with your insurer.
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Car Insurance Claim Settlement
Once the repairs of your car are complete, your insurance company will settle the insurance claim with the network garage in case of a cashless claim settlement process. If you have got your car repaired in a non-network garage, the insurance company will reimburse you the entire claim amount after the repairs are done. However, make sure to keep all the repair bills and payment receipts with you for an easy claim reimbursement process.
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Be Prepared for Any Adversity on Road
A road accident can come unannounced and therefore, it is always better to be prepared for any adversity while driving. Make sure to follow all the traffic rules properly, adhere to the speed limit, and not drink & drive as most road accidents happen due to these reasons only. Moreover, keep copies of all the necessary documents like your motor insurance papers, driving license, registration certificate, etc. with you whenever you are driving on the road.
Wrapping Up!
Car accidents are distressing but if you know how to deal with them, you can save yourself from heavy repair expenditure. But that's only possible if you insure your vehicle with a car insurance policy. Although purchasing at least a third party car insurance policy is mandatory, you can opt for a comprehensive policy to cover your car as well as third party liabilities in case of a car accident. If you are looking for an affordable motor insurance policy, you can compare different plans and buy it from insurance broker websites like Policybazaar.com.
