What To Do If You’re in a Minor Car Accident in Australia

You’ll find that there are many different types of people when it comes to car accidents. The ones that evade the issue (not recommended from a general and legal point of view), the ones who are overwhelmed and tend to freeze, the ones who panic and the ones who take charge. Odds are that if you’re prepared for an accident, even if it’s unlikely it will happen, you’ll be the person who is calm and takes charge of the situation.

No one wants to be in a car accident, but it can happen in the blink of an eye, so rather than digging your head in the sand at the mere thought of it, wouldn’t you rather be prepared and know exactly what to do?

In this article, we aim to give you some advice on how to prepare for the aftermath of a minor car accident: what the procedure is, what your legal obligations are, and what to take note of to help your case should you need to claim. Assuming that you’re conscious after the accident, here are the steps you’ll need to take as soon as you’re able to:

1.  Safely stop the car

First off, whenever you’re involved in an accident, regardless of how minor it is, you need to stop off in a safe area. In minor accidents, the chances are that you’d still be able to drive, but don’t drive away, but put out of the way of traffic and put on your hazard lights, making sure that the ignition is off. This is so that you can check for damage on all the vehicles and passengers involved. For the sake of evidence, maybe take a picture of all parties’ cars, and preferably have a dashcam on board so you can replay the incident. If the vehicle is too damaged to move, then put out your hazard sign and keep the lights flashing.

2.  Make sure everyone is safe

This can be done interchangeably with the first step, but you have to make sure that everyone involved in the accident is safe and unharmed. Essentially, you want to do a few things immediately after the accident:

• Assess the situation for possible danger
• Make sure that everyone is alright
• Do what you can to make the environment safer as you wait for the authorities

3.  Contact the relevant authorities

Once it’s confirmed that everyone is safe, you can contact the relevant authorities. In Australia, the police need to be contacted if there is excessive damage to property or injuries as a result of an accident. You must contact the relevant authorities as soon as possible! Failure to do so could result in fines or other consequences, more so if you’re a tourist.

4.  Collect all essential information from those involved

As standard procedure for any accident, exchanging information between those involved in the accident is essential. What you’ll need to do is get the following from the other parties involved:

• Name and surname
• Contact number
• Insurance information
• Vehicle type
• Model of the vehicle
• Any other information relevant
  
  

5.  Gather evidence

Gathering as much information as possible will also be in your best interest. Remember, insurance companies are in the business of turning a profit. They do this by following strict policies to reduce the amount of payouts they have to do. So, in some cases, they may look at the information provided to find a way to avoid paying or to pay you less. This is where having a car accident lawyer comes in handy. You can find a lawyer for a car accident here.

Take pictures from multiple angles around where the accident occurred, and make sure that you include any stop signs, traffic lights, or signs that indicate the circumstances of an accident. For example, if your car is in the middle of the intersection and was hit on the rear by a car coming across the intersection, the evidence shows that you were in the intersection first.

Also get the testimonies of bystanders who witnessed the accident happen. They could confirm your account of the accident and possibly assist you in getting your insurance cover easier.

6.  Contact your insurance or the rental company

Amongst all the commotion, you may also want to contact your insurance company or the car rental company you hired the car from. By doing this, you’re notifying them of the accident and giving them time to get their administrative tasks in order. For instance, your insurance company will organise a tow truck to come fetch the car if it needs towing.

7.  Consider contacting a car accident lawyer

Finally, some accidents are easy to resolve, especially when the person at fault is obvious or if it's a minor fender bender. However, in other situations, the lines between who was at fault can be blurred, and the fight to get paid out can be quite difficult. This is when hiring a car accident lawyer is suggested.

Final Thoughts

In a car accident situation, the more information and evidence you gather about the circumstances surrounding the accident, who was involved and at fault, and the surrounding area, the better. Follow these tips above if you’re ever in an accident in Australia, and you’ll find that everything will be smoothed over sooner without too many complications.

Posted By Faizan

Updated : 2nd November 2024 | Words : 886 | Views : 194