What To Do In A Car Accident

Last week I was very lucky to escape unhurt from a car accident. Just take a look at the pictures.

Mine is the big grey car in front with the back totally smashed in. This accident involved 6 cars. The gold color Toyota is the one who caused it all to happen. I was already stopped at the traffic light. This guy, for some crazy reason, didn't slow down. He rammed into the car at the back of me, who veered to the right and hit another 2 cars. He then continued to smash into the back of my car. Unfortunately, that caused me to bump into the car in front of me.

The impact was pretty hard. It knocked my spectacles off my face. When I got down from the car, some people were calling to the Toyota driver to wake up. He was unconscious and they tried to pull him out of the car. But it looked like his leg was kinda stuck, plus he was a heavy guy. He did gain consciousness eventually. The next time I looked around for him, he was already whisked to the hospital. The rest of us victims were left to figure out the mess.

Okay, so..... this is what I've learned about what to do in an accident.

• For your police report, you'll need to know everybody's car registration number, car make and model, what road the accident took place, what time it took place, where were you coming from and where were you going. Note down all the damages to your car.
• Exchange names and phone numbers. Make sure you have a pen or pencil handy in the car. I was quite shocked I almost forgot how to enter a new phone number into my handphone's directory. 
• You will probably be approached by guys who say "I can handle everything for you". Don't be too hasty to say "yes" to anyone. If you've signed up with certain Car Breakdown services, check with them if they can assist you with the accident. We are AAM members and I didn't know AAM has such services. I only knew when my brother told me.
• The guy that caused the accident had an expired driver's license. Initially, we were told that he didn't have a driver's license, and this was bad because then his insurance does not have to pay. But since it is only expired, we are able to make the claim against his insurance. If the accident is not your fault, file a "No-fault Own Damage" claim with your insurance company. This is also known as a KFK (Knock-for-Knock) claim. With this claim, you don't have to lose your NCD. However, this claim depends on the police investigation report (not your own police report). If the police investigation report says it is the other guy's fault, then you are good for the KFK claim.
• One guy told me that I should wait to get my car towed. If I drove it and got into another accident, I won't be able to make any insurance claims. This is true but at that time, I wasn't sure if I could trust the guy. So, I drove slowly to the police station. Talking about police station, make sure you go to the right branch.
• Your car needs to be repaired by a workshop that is on the insurance company's panel. After you file your claim, the insurance company will assign an adjustor to evaluate the cost. 
• What you need for your claim: Photostat copy of your IC, car owner's IC, insurance policy, car registration card, your police report, police investigation report and police sketch plan.
  

It is a miracle that nobody else was hurt in this accident. I did heed my friends' advice and went to get an x-ray for my neck and back, just to be sure. You can actually claim this if you have a Personal Accident Insurance. I only felt the effects of the accident the next day. My body just felt so tired and I collapsed on the bed for a few hours.

Oh, one last thing, I am glad I didn't have my children in the car with me. So, if you have babies/toddlers, please please please strap them up in a car seat. You just don't know when an accident will happen.