How to deal with a traffic accident while driving in Canada?
1) Traffic accident handling process
2) How to negotiate with the police and the other car owner?
3) How to negotiate with the insurance company?
What should you do if you accidentally encounter a traffic accident while driving in Canada? Don’t panic, the following will share with you the correct response steps after a car accident and how to negotiate with the police, the other vehicle owner and the insurance company.
[Traffic accident handling process]
● Stop/calm down/protect the scene
● Alarm
● Find witnesses
● Take photos to keep as evidence
● Moving vehicles
● Exchange information with the other driver
● Answer police questions
● Traffic accident compensation and insurance
● What to do if you feel unwell?
1. Stop the car and stay calm
Failure to stop after an accident may result in criminal charges. Please turn on the car’s double flash function (red triangle button) or use other tools to warn passing vehicles. After parking on the spot, turn off the car, take the keys, and take care of the valuables in your car. If there are witnesses nearby, write down the witness’s name and phone number as soon as possible, which will save a lot of trouble in the future. Make sure the environment is safe before getting off the vehicle (important).
2. Alarm
If someone is injured, or the total loss caused by the traffic accident exceeds 2,000 Canadian dollars (the amounts stipulated in different provinces are different), or it is believed that the other party may be suspected of drug driving/drunk driving, or has damaged public facilities, or the other party is not insured, or If the other party refuses to provide information, please call 911 immediately: remember to clearly state the location of the accident. If you are not sure whether the total loss exceeds 2,000 Canadian dollars, it is also recommended to call the police for insurance reasons.
If the other person is injured or looks in pain but claims to be OK, you should still call 911, because if the injury worsens or is more serious than expected, it will delay treatment or cause subsequent trouble. During this process, do not move the injured person, as this may aggravate the injury. If the weather is cold, it is best to cover the injured person with a blanket (if available) and wait for medical professionals to arrive. In Toronto, if the visual damage is less than 2,000 Canadian dollars, you do not need to call the police to the scene, but you must call the Collision Reporting Center within 24 hours to assist the police in completing the accident report.
3. Find witnesses
If there are witnesses, ask the witnesses for their names and contact information, “Would you mind being my witness?” If you don’t ask for the names or contact information of witnesses, you can write down the license plate numbers of passing vehicles.
4. Take photos and keep certificates
Under the premise of safety and feasibility, take all-round photos and videos of the scene, including the license plates of both vehicles, recent photos of the collision point, road conditions, brake marks on the road, surrounding traffic signs (such as traffic lights, speed limit signs, stop signs, etc.), inside the car The shape and position of the object after impact, the relative position of the two vehicles, etc. At the same time, pay attention to the surrounding situation and be careful of additional accidents.
After taking pictures, do not post about the accident on Weibo/Moments, etc., as it may affect subsequent legal proceedings (for example, the other party’s defense lawyer may use the information you posted on social media to attack you). Don’t take it lightly just because the other party apologizes or admits a mistake. The other party may change their mind, and it is more reliable to have photo or video evidence in hand.
If the other party’s vehicle hits and runs, don’t chase it. Get out of the car first and take photos to store evidence. Then, if your car can drive safely, drive to the nearby police station to report the incident.
5. Moving vehicles
After the steps of taking photos and collecting evidence are completed, if it is safe and feasible, drive the car to the shoulder of the road to avoid blocking traffic. If the car cannot be started, it still uses double flashers or other tools to warn passing vehicles. If there are serious injuries or fatalities, do not move the vehicle so officers can investigate.
6. Exchange information with the other driver
You can print the traffic accident details record sheet provided by the Ontario government (https://www.fsco.gov.on.ca/en/auto/brochures/Documents/accident-worksheet.pdf), and other provinces can also refer to it. Print it out and keep it in your car so you can take it out in an emergency so you know what information to ask for.
Generally speaking, try to write down all or part of the following important information: date, time, location, weather conditions, speed, road conditions, speed limit; the other party’s name (check whether the person is consistent with the photo on the driver’s license), the name on the ownership Information (car model, etc.), license plate number, VIN (see the picture below for location), driver’s license number, address, phone number, insurance company, Insurance policy number, etc. A lot of information can be recorded by taking photos, and the rest can be recorded by voice.
When negotiating with the other driver, remember not to rush to admit your fault or apologize to the other driver. If you apologize, it may be used as a basis for determining that you are at fault later. Remember, stay calm: avoid getting into an argument with the other person, and try not to discuss responsibility for the accident with them to save energy and possibly have to negotiate with the police later. It is not recommended to accept a private agreement (unless the accident is too minor). If it is the other party’s responsibility and you accept a private settlement, you must go to a car repair shop to assess the losses before accepting the offer. Otherwise, the amount of compensation promised by the other party may not be able to make up for your actual losses. If the other person is willing to admit their mistake, politely take a video as evidence. If you don’t have a tool that can take a video, it’s best to ask the other party to provide a written admission of fault. Remember that it is very difficult to keep something private verbally without others taking advantage of it and then knocking you down and saying it is your responsibility.
7. Answer police questions
If the police come, please answer the questions truthfully. Only state objective facts and do not blame the other party or rush to admit that you are wrong. The information the police need from you includes the time and place of the accident, details of the accident, car owner information, driver’s license number, license plate number, vehicle information involved, car registration, eyewitness testimony, car insurance, etc.
8. Traffic accident compensation and insurance
If you want to get compensation from the insurance company, you must report it within seven days. After a certain time window, the insurance company may reject the claim. After contacting the insurance company, the insurance company will assign a claim adjuster to determine the compensation amount. The insurance company and the police department may determine the party responsible for the accident differently, and the results of the two have no influence on each other. Many people don’t want to call their insurance company for fear that premiums will go up and the at-fault party’s accident records will be kept for at least 6 to 10 years. In fact, as long as you are not at fault, your premiums will not increase!
If you are really undecided, contact your insurance broker/intermediary for advice. They can also help with the claims process. Note that if you lend your car to someone else and they are involved in an accident while driving your car and are at fault (50% fault or above), this record will be counted against you and the insurance premium will increase. Also, if you choose not to report the accident to your insurance company and the other driver reports it, your insurance company will also be notified.
If you report it to the insurance company, the insurance company will arrange to have your car towed to a designated location for repair. If an accident occurs and an unauthorized truck comes quickly to “help” tow your car and asks you to sign, be wary. It is probably a scammer. Once you sign, the other party will start extorting thousands of dollars from you. Or tens of thousands of “car pickup fees.”
9. If you feel unwell after the accident
Auto insurance in Ontario mandates that the insured be covered by Accident Benefit: used to compensate for out-of-pocket expenses for rehabilitation treatment, basic medical services and medical supplies caused by an automobile accident. This includes: income support, medical rehabilitation and nursing care expenses, caregiver or home maintenance expenses, death and funeral expenses, and optional additional coverage options. If you feel unwell after the accident, be careful not to show off! Please get checked out as soon as possible to determine if treatment is needed! ! ! (Important) You may not realize that you were injured at the time of the accident. Some physical discomfort will gradually appear after a period of time or even six months later.
Summarize
After a traffic accident, the driver needs to remain calm and collect a lot of information. It is indeed not an easy task, so it is very important to make advance preparations: of course, the first thing is to obey the traffic rules and concentrate on driving. Secondly, always have paper and pen, insurance policy, registration, traffic accident information record sheet, water and a blanket (in winter) in the car. The process of waiting and dealing with a traffic accident at the scene can be lengthy, and having the above documents and supplies ready can save a lot of the panic.
Knock on the blackboard! Knock on the blackboard! I hope everyone will try to avoid driving while tired and drinking and driving, for your own sake and to care for your family and friends.