Check everyone is okay, call for emergency services if required and, if it's safe and necessary to do so, move your vehicle to prevent further accidents.
Generally, it's advised that anyone involved in a car accident contact the police and file a report. This can be crucial when settling insurance claims.
Collect the other driver's information, including name, contact details, licence number, and insurance information.
Take lots of photos of the accident scene, damage to any vehicles or property involved, and licence plates for documentation.
If there are witnesses to the accident, collect their contact information. Their statements may be valuable in case nobody admits fault.
Even when you're not at fault, you should inform your insurance company. They can guide you through next steps, help recover damages from the other driver's insurer, or cover your costs if the other driver isn't insured.
These tips were compiled with the help of Nathan McCullum, Director of McCullum Advisory.
It depends. If the other driver has insurance, their policy should cover your damage and you don't need to claim on your own policy. If they don't have insurance, or if they prefer not to involve their insurer, they may agree to pay you out of their own pocket.
However, if the other driver isn't insured or won't pay for the damage, you may need to claim on your own insurance - particularly if the repair bill is expensive.
Regardless of whether you make a claim or not, you should always inform your insurer of an accident. They will be able to help guide you through the best steps to take.
| Response | |
|---|---|
| Yes | 50.1% |
| No | 48.11% |
| I have never driven before | 1.79% |
If you have to claim on your own insurance because the other driver was uninsured or you were unable to get their details, it's likely your premium will be impacted.
However, if the matter is handled by the other driver or their insurer, and they cover the cost to repair any damage, your car insurance premium is unlikely to be impacted.
Read your product disclosure statement (PDS) and certificate of insurance carefully to avoid any nasty surprises.
It doesn't matter. If the other driver is at fault, they should cover the cost of your repairs. They can either cover the cost themselves, or have their insurance cover the cost.
If you're having trouble hearing back from the other person, you can send a letter of demand, involve a lawyer, lodge a complaint with the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA) or take the matter to court.
If the at-fault driver doesn't have insurance, they may pay you out of their own pocket. However, if the repair bill is extensive, it can be difficult to recoup the costs.
Depending on the amount owed, you may need to lodge a complaint with the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA) or take the matter to court.
"A few years back I bought a second hand Holden Astra from a dealer. It turned out to be an oil-leaking lemon, but that's another story. A month after I got the car, I was rear-ended on Parramatta Road by an uninsured driver and my car was totalled. At first I felt devastated, thinking I had lost all my money because I only had third party insurance. To my surprise I found out that my third party insurance also covers my car if I get hit by an uninsured driver, and my insurer (Youi) was able to reimburse me the full cost of my car."
Completely at fault: It's clear the other driver is solely to blame for the accident. They may be intoxicated, they may have been texting, or they may have run a red light while meanwhile you were following all of the road rules.
Partly at fault: Even if you didn't cause the accident, you may be partly to blame. For example, you may have admitted liability at the scene, you may have been distracted, or you may have misjudged another driver's intentions.
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