If you are involved in an auto accident, take the following steps:
1) Don’t leave the scene
2) Call for medical assistance if there are injuries.
3) Call the police - The Ontario Highway Traffic Act was revised as of January 1, 1998 and accidents over $1,000 must be reported to the police. This is not per car, but, for the entire accident and all vehicles involved.
4) When police make the report be polite and don't admit your fault even if you think it was.
5) Drivers involved in a collision must now exchange drivers license numbers and pertinent insurance information in writing, as well as, license plate number and registered owner information.
- Please consider this simple tip - Keep paper and a pencil in the vehicle for this reason.
6) All collision with personal injury must be reported to the police and insurance company immediately. Do not make statements to the other insurance company involved until you have talked to your own insurance company and adjuster.
7) If the collision doesn’t involve personal injuries police may direct motorists to a Collision Reporting Center or local police station. Report to that Center and provide all necessary details and get a copy of the report for your records and your brokers records.
8) Never pay cash for a claim - to the other person involved in the accident at the scene. Don’t pay cash to the tow truck driver without a receipt (you may be reimbursed by the insurance company)
9) Look for witnesses. Record the names of any witnesses who saw what happened. These people are very important if your participation in the accident is questioned at a later date. Preferably look for people that are not in your car, but, were situated near the accident scene at the time and saw what happened.
Gathering information
(whether you are a passenger, pedestrian, or cyclist).
Here’s a checklist of 9 items of information to record in the event of a accident:
1) Policy number, insurance company and name of the person the policy is in with addresses and phone numbers of the vehicle owner
2) If the driver is not registered owner then get driver's name, address, drivers license and telephone number
3) Date and time of the accident
4) Location of accident
5) Year, make & model, color and license plate number
6) Number & Name of Passengers in each car with telephone numbers and home addresses
7) Name of responding police, fire, ambulance, police or collision report and report number.
8) Road conditions - diagram of road, weather, traffic flow, signs, etc.
9) Witness - get names, addresses, telephone numbers
If you are a passenger this is the questions list you should fullfill:
a. Who was the driver at the wheel of each vehicle involved in
the accident?
b. What is your relationship to the driver of the car you were in?
c. What was your sitting arrangement and position?
d. What was the nature of your trip? For what purpose was it
being made? At whose invitation and for whose benefit?
e. Who invited you for the ride?
f. Had you ever rode with this driver before?
g. Did any of the other passenger(s) in the motor vehicle you
were riding in voice any complaints or concerns regarding
your drivers operating style during the course of the ride?
h. What was your previous knowledge of the driving ability or
record of the person driving? Do you feel the driver operated
his or her motor vehicle carefully or properly on this
particular trip?
i. Had the driver, or anybody else in the motor vehicle, been
drinking or taking drugs?
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