Being involved in a car accident can be a traumatic experience for all involved, no matter how big or small the accident itself is.
At South Melbourne Smash Repairs, we deal with hundreds of people every month who have found themselves in the position of having been involved in an accident.
As a trusted car repairer, it is crucial to our ability to perform our job that we understand:
- How the accident occurred.
- The damage to your vehicle.
- The details of any other parties involved in the crash.
As well as being important to any insurance claim you will be making, we will always ask that you provide us with a record of the accident, so it is important to document what happened at the scene.
Here are some tips for recording all the details if you are ever involved in a car accident:
1. Make sure you are safe:
After a car accident, the most important thing to do is assess your safety and the safety of any passengers.
You should make sure that you are not in any immediate danger and then check for signs of injury.
Once you know you are not in any danger, it is important to take the necessary steps to ensure your safety and security before worrying about anything else.
For example, if you are on a busy road or highway, it is important to move your vehicle off the roadway as soon as possible. This ensures that other drivers can safely pass by without getting into another accident.
Additionally, you should always call the police in order to file an official report and document the details of the accident. This will help protect you legally if needed later down the line.
The aftermath of a car accident can be overwhelming, especially if it was serious.
No matter how shaken up or scared you may feel after a crash, it is always important to prioritise your safety first before worrying about anything else afterwards.
2. Ensure You Capture Details of Any Other Cars and Drivers
After being in a car accident, it’s imperative that you capture the make, model and license plate of the other vehicle involved.
This is important for any insurance claim, as well as South Melbourne Smash Repairs being able to provide you with the best service possible.
Not only will this ensure that you know who is responsible for filing the insurance claims and who is liable for the damages, but it will also provide you with key evidence should any legal action arise from the incident.
By having the license plate of another car, you can identify its owner (via the appropriate channels), which will prove to be very useful when completing forms or attending court hearings.
Therefore, make sure always to get all of that information no matter how insignificant it might seem in the moment – it could save you time and money in the long run.
If the other party is cooperative, ask for their name and address and request a photo of their driver’s license.
This is important because the driver of the vehicle may not always be the registered owner of the car.
In the event that the other driver does not provide you with any information after an accident, immediately call law enforcement, as they will conduct a thorough investigation.
3. Photos of Damage to Car (Close-up of any dents, broken glass and wider body shots)
After an accident, it is incredibly important to take as many photos of the damaged car as possible. A simple picture can truly tell a thousand words when it comes to getting your due compensation.
With close-up shots of any harm done and wider body shots taken from various angles, even the most minor of dents or broken glasses can be easily picked out by the eye that needs to see it most, such as insurance agents.
Capturing these photos will make life much easier after an accident in terms of getting back on the road with something you can drive safely again!
For South Melbourne Smash Repairs, these photos are important in helping us identify the damage that was present at the scene, as well as any damage we observe once the car is in our shop.
This is particularly important if the job is being covered by an insurance claim, as we will only be able to repair the damage caused by the insurable event.
If any additional non-related repairs are required, please advise, and we will be happy to discuss the process and costs.
If possible, you should also seek to take photos of any damage present in other vehicles, as this can be important evidence in reconstructing the accident and helping to determine liability.
4. Photos of the Scene
Capturing photos of the scene after a car accident is crucial for many reasons.
Not only should you take a wide shot to capture any debris and trademarks that help to tell the story of what happened, but photos of smaller details to solidify your version of events – like line markings, lanes, and direction you were travelling in.
This evidence helps create an accurate representation of the crash, which can be invaluable when providing your side of things.
It also serves as something to look back on if details get blurred with time – so make sure if an overdose happens, you have it documented properly.
5. Photograph Any Injuries
If someone has been injured in a car accident, then photography can be an invaluable tool for capturing evidence of any physical harm caused.
It also serves as powerful evidence should legal action take place down the line.
Photographs are a great way to document any bruises, cuts or scrapes that may have resulted from the incident.
6. A written record of the accident
A car accident, no matter how big or small is a big deal, and it’s important that you have a clear and accurate recollection of what happened.
For this reason, it is critical that you make yourself a written report of the accident or record a voice memo at the scene for you to transcribe later.
You can use all the evidence you’ve compiled above to help write a report or record a voice memo that will note the following crucial details:
- The date and time of the accident
- The location of the accident.
- The weather conditions at the time of the accident.
- The direction you were travelling.
- Any relevant details about the lane you were driving in (EG: I was in the left-turning lane)
- How you believe the crash occurred.
- The make and model of the other car/s.
- The details collected from any other drivers, particularly their full name and address
- The details of any witnesses that you have spoken to at the scene
You should write down the date, location, and nearest cross street to the accident as soon as you can. As time passes, sometimes these details can become harder to remember.
It also helps to get details from anyone who has witnessed the accident first-hand.
Call South Melbourne Smash Repairs
If you have any questions about the steps to take after a car accident, we are here to help.
In the event of an accident, you can call South Melbourne Smash Repairs on (03) 9690 6806, and we will help walk you through all the details you need to capture from the scene.
If you’ve been in an accident and are phoning from the scene, we’ll ask you a series of plain, easy-to-understand questions to evaluate the vehicle’s safety.
Send images or videos of the car and the situation. We’ll determine the vehicle’s safety based on your evidence.
If there’s any concern regarding the vehicle’s safety, we’ll arrange for towing to our Market St., South Melbourne, location.
This phone call is crucial, especially if we’ve never worked with you.
It helps us understand what occurred to the car and ensures that you obtain any essential photographic and video proof, as well as the other party’s data.
The South Melbourne Smash Repairs team is here to help you whenever you find yourself in a car accident. We understand that accidents can be incredibly stressful, and our team is ready to assist you with everything from gathering evidence to understanding what steps to take afterwards.
