My Car Is Damaged In An Accident, What To Do Next?

Whether it’s a slight scratch or a head-on collision, many of us hear the crunch of the bumper and squealing sound of brakes at some point in our lives, right?

But, thankfully, the majority of the car accidents involve cuffed metal, along with a bruised ego.

So, have you too been involved in a car accident, and perplexed what you need to do next?

Here, in this post, we’re going to help you bail out of this trouble with great ease. Read till the end to find the answers:-

1. Contact your Insurance Company

The first thing you need to do is reach out to your insurance company and inform them about the damage to your car.

You can send a few clicks of the damage to your vehicle from various angles as proof.

2. Get an FIR

Once you’ve contacted your insurance company, the next thing you’ve to do is to intimate the police and report the accident to obtain an FIR copy.

In the FIR, the key details of your car included along with the driver data, and the witness must be included.

3. File a Claim

Now, you’ve to submit the claim with your insurance company and request them to assign a surveyor for evaluating the loss. You can even apply for the claim online.

4. Documents to File Your Claim

The insurance company will request to submit several documents to accept & validate the claim. You’ll have to submit certain necessary documents including

• Copy of your insurance policy
• Copy of FIR filed with the police
• Duly filled & signed claim form
• Copy of your driving license
• Detailed costs of the repairs
• Medical bills in case of physical injuries
• Original records of the expenses

5. Formalities When Making an Insurance Claim

In case of an accident, the policyholder can use either file the third-party claim or own damage compensation. So, let’s understand in detail:-

Third-Party Claim

You make a third-party claim against the other vehicle owner if they are at fault and the damage has been caused to your vehicle. You can claim medical compensation, in case physical damage has been caused to you.

Medical compensation can also be claimed in the worst-case scenario of death.

On the contrary, if you have hit someone else’s car and caused damage to them, your insurance company is responsible for the compensation. What steps to follow:-

• Step 1: Obtain the details of the vehicle that caused damage to your vehicle. These can include the number plate, if possible, take photos or simply the colour, and car model will do.
• Step 2: Contact your car insurance provider without any delay. If you pass the stipulated period, you might not get full compensation.
• Step 3: Next, submit the third-party insurance claim to your insurer. If you are the victim party, then you need to file a third-party claim.
• Step 4: Once you are done with filing a claim application to your insurance company, the last thing you’ve to do is to submit a case at the Motor Accident Claims Tribunal in the area where the defender party resides or where the accident happened.

Own Damage Claim

You can file an own damage claim if damage has been caused to your vehicle with no third-party involved. This may be due to accidents like theft, fire, etc.

Your insurer will bear all such expenses. However, you are required to authenticate the damage. One thing you need to know is that you can successfully file this claim only if you have a comprehensive vehicle insurance policy.

Sell Your Car

If your car is still moving after the accident or the cost of repairing comes out to be less than the actual market worth of the vehicle, selling it off is a wise decision.

However, selling your car isn’t a cakewalk as the price you get is low and so much hassle involved. However, you can overcome these by narrowing down on a credible car selling website where you can list your vehicle and find a genuine buyer to offer the right worth for your car.

If your car is not in moving condition or declared as total damage, then scrapping it could be considered.

Final Words

You’ve to act quickly at the scene of the accident. Note down the colour, model, and registration number of the other vehicle responsible for the accident.

Talk to the witness around, and if the possible request for their contact as you might need it later to submit a successful claim.