Step 1: Who hit your car?
Before you start cursing away, check your windshield to see if the person responsible had left their contact number or name card. Likely, they didn't have the time to wait around. If you’re lucky, call them to find out about the accident. You can settle it out of court or seek claims from the other person’s insurer.
Step 2: What can you do about it?
If you have comprehensive car insurance, you can file for a No-Fault Own Damage (NFOC). Instead of seeking compensation from the other person's insurer, your insurer can cover the costs. Worried that the accident will affect your No Claim Bonus entitlement? Don't worry, that bonus is safe because it's not your fault.
Step 3: Talk to your insurer
Within 24 hours of the accident, you have to make a police report. The next step is reporting to your insurer about what happened and finding where the nearest panel workshop is. Repairing your car at any unauthorised workshop might put your claims at risk of being unapproved. Remember to call your insurer in advance before driving away.
Here’s the fun part, let’s talk about paperwork. You need several supporting documents to submit your NFOC claims. We've prepared a document checklist that will come in handy.
Things you need:
- Official claims form from your insurer
- An original copy of a police report
- An original copy of the police’s investigation results
- A photocopy of your identification card
- A photocopy of your driver’s license
- An updated vehicle registration card
- Receipt of repair costs
- Photos of damages to the vehicle at the accident scene (if any)
Step 4: How to check the repair cost?
Every authorised panel workshop has an independent licensed adjuster. They play an important role in evaluating the damage and calculating the repair cost. They will hand you their report right after, so remember to keep it safe.
The adjuster also estimates the repair timeline and how long it’ll take to get your car back. Another name for this report is Compensation for the Actual Repair Time (CART), which you can claim on top of your repair cost. It normally takes about one or two weeks to sign off this compensation report, so you might need to do something painful first: pay from your wallet. Don’t worry, your insurer will compensate you later on.
Step 5: Don't procrastinate!
At this stage, it’s important to stay proactive. If necessary, call your insurer to understand the procedure better and prepare the documents without delay. The longer you procrastinate, the longer it’ll take to get your insurance claims approved. We’re pretty sure that you don’t want to go carless for a long time, right? Also, don’t be shy to call up your panel workshop to check on the status of your car repair. They’ll be more than happy to update you about it.
Every accident is fixable, even when you’re not at fault. Whether we parked our car safely or drove carefully on the road, we can’t avoid accidents when it has happened. It’s best to protect ourselves from unfortunate cases by getting comprehensive car insurance, which you can get from Loanstreet!
