Is there any easy way in surviving an auto claim? According to statistics from ICBC for 2015, there were 300,000 traffic accidents in the British Columbia. If they were all single vehicle accidents, that’s 842 accidents per day. Not all of the accidents include injuries , the number of accidents that include those is 57,000, while the number with fatalities is 275.
As the population grows and ages, the numbers of vehicles on the roads will increase, and so will your chances of being in an accident. How can you protect yourself, and what should you do if you are involved in an accident?
HOW TO BE PREPARED, JUST IN CASE
1 Make sure your auto insurance is available. Most of us will have a copy in our glove compartment but check just to make sure because if stopped and unable to produce your insurance papers you can receive a ticket
2 Keep a pen and paper in your car. It will come in handy if you are in an accident and need to exchange information.
3 Do a quick visual check of your car. You may notice something like a deflated tire that could lead to an accident.
4 Always adjust your mirrors before you move your vehicle. Chances are they were right where you left them last time you drove, but they could have been bumped and while driving is a horrible time to find out.
SO AN ACCIDENT HAPPENED. WHAT NOW?
Chances are you are shaken up or at least rattled. What do you do now?
1 Make sure your car is fully stopped. Ensure that it is in park and that your brake is applied.
2 If possible, depending on the damage and severity of the accident, move your car to a safe place if possible.
3 Check out all passengers in your car for injuries, as well as the other car and pedestrians and then call 911. This will allow you to alert them if medical personnel are required.
4 Get your insurance out along with your pen and paper. Gather as much information as possible and if you have a phone with a camera take pictures to document the accident.
AFTER THE ACCIDENT
1 Once the accident is dealt with on the scene and everyone is attended to then its time to report the accident to ICBC. This can be done by calling Dial-a-Claim. They will take as much information about the accident over the phone and start the process of the insurance claim.
2 An adjuster will be assigned to the claim and they will gather as much information as possible and then determine liability.
3 If you have any questions, bring them to the attention of the adjuster.
4 You will then need to get an estimate to get your car repaired. The estimate will be used by the adjuster to possibly assess liability as well and if the car need to be written off (not worth repairing).
5 If not written off then your car can be repaired, ICBC pays most shops directly for the estimated repair work. When the work is complete you may need to pay your deductible.
Hopefully this will help you in surviving an auto claim.
AMC Insurance is your one stop for all your insurance needs. To find out more, visit our website or call us today.
