Car insurance | Helpful information in the event of an accident

Immediately after the accident while at the scene

It's not easy staying calm and level-headed after you've been in a car accident. But there are certain steps you should follow, however minor or serious the accident, to ensure you get the help you need and act within the law Do I call the police? You must call the police if anyone is killed or injured. That applies in all states. Beyond that, rules differ between states

Action to take in NSW and ACT

You must also call the police if:
1 The other person fails to stop or exchange details
2 One or more vehicles need to be towed away
3 A driver appears to be under the influence of alcohol or drugs
4 Damage to property -other than vehicles -is over $500.
5 And you must report any other incident to the police within 24 hours.

Get these details for later on.

1 Date and time of accident
2 Location of accident
3 Witnesses: A. Full names B. addresses C. Contact telephone numbers
4 Police Officer details:
D Name of police officer , Police station,Contact telephone number

Get these details from owner who is driver.

Other vehicle details:
1 Registration number
2 Make and model
3 Other driver's  A. Full name B. address, C. Date of birth D. Licence number,
4 Contact telephone numbers

Get these details if the driver is not the owner.

1 Full name and address
2 Contact telephone numbers
3 Other car owner's insurance details
l4 Name of company
5 Type of policy (eg. comprehensive insurance)
6 Policy number

If your car needs to be towed

Rules differ between states. But wherever you are, take your personal belongings out of the vehicle before it is towed. But you mustn't remove anything that belongs on the vehicle -such as the stereo or wheels In NSW and the ACT, you can decide who should tow your vehicle and
where it should go. NRMA Comprehensive Car Insurance covers you for the reasonable cost of towing. Call NRMA Insurace on 131-123 first and they can advise you of a suitable repairer.

How to claim your insurance

If your vehicle needs some minor repairs to make it driveable after your accident for example, fixing a windscreen -you can get emergency repairs up to $350 before contacting us. But please remember to keep all receipts. Any correspondence you receive from the other car owner should be forwarded to Insurace company as soon as you receive it.

How to make an injury claim

For all Third Part Claims enquiries, contact insurance company or for further information visit the MAA website at www.maa.nsw.gov.au

Information to help you with insurance claims.

Types of motor vehicle insurance:

Comprehensive insurance covers all damage to a vehicle, whether or not the insured is at fault and all claims made against the insured for damage to property caused by the vehicle.

Third party property damage insurance covers all claims made against the insured for damage to property caused by the vehicle, but does not provide any cover for damage to the insured's vehicle. Some policies may include cover for fire and theft to the insured's vehicle. There is no facility to search whether a motor vehicle is covered by any of these types of insurance so unless the insurer contacts the person, they must deal with the owner and driver personally.

Where a person has no insurance

And you wish to claim for damage to your vehicle, you must claim against the person responsible for the accident and if that person is insured, their insurance company will deal with the claim. If the driver and owner are not the same persons, a claim may be made against both, as the driver may have been acting as the owner's agent. Contributory negligence is where the cause of the accident is the fault of both drivers (eg: one driver fails to give way and the other driver is speeding). Each person is then compensated according to the extent of the other's negligence.

A person wishing to claim for damage to a motor vehicle should

If the car is able to be repaired obtain two written quotes from qualified repairers for both labour and parts or, if it would not be viable to repair the car, obtain two written valuations from car yards, qualified panel beaters or other expert valuers (eg: car clubs) of its before accident value . Calculate the amount to claim for the car, either: lowest quote for repairs + towing costs + storage costs, or lowest quote for the pre accident value + towing costs + storage costs salvage value.

Send a letter of demand enclosing copies of quotes/valuations

To the owner and driver of the other vehicle and to their insurer demanding payment within a fixed time period eg: 14 days. If the owner and the driver are not the same person, a separate letter should be sent to each person. If the other party fails to pay the amount owing within the time specified in the letter of demand or neither they or their insurer respond at all then the person can take action in the Civil Courts or where the amount is $7 ,500 or less in the Small Claims Tribunal.

A person who receives a claim arising from a motor vehicle accident  who is not insured

Should see evidence of the amount of damage sustained eg: quotes or valuations. If they dispute liability for the accident of the amount of damage (Quantum) then they should try and negotiate, failing which the matter can be determined by the Civil Courts or the Small Claims Tribuna1 if the claim is $7 ,500 or less..

Buying car insurance and checking the premium

Before you buy a car, make sure it has a low premium rating. The two key factors that can push up premium are the likelihood of theft and the cost of repairs. If you buy a car at the top of the must-have list for car thieves and joy riders and you live in a suburb with a high crime rate, it's likely you'll be a prime target. And you'll pay the price in premiums. Equally if you buy a car that is expensive to repair -particularly of the European variety you may find you're paying top dollar. Before you buy your car check out the premium with insurers and/or your local motoring organisation. NRMA's Open Road magazine, for instance, lists the latest premium guide for cars.

Nominated drivers

Some policies will reduce the premium if you nominate just two drivers who have a clean driving record. Western QBE, for instance will lower your premium if you just name two drivers.

Aged drivers

Being young may be great in lots of ways, but when it comes to car insurance you pay the penalty. Most insurers either ask you to pay a higher excess and or apply a higher premium. The cut-off is usually 25. Some insurers are more lenient for women because statistically their driving record is better. One company that specifically looks after the younger driver is Young & Cool, which is an underwriting agency for Lloyds. Drivers under 25 who insure with Young & Cool have to take a defensive driving course, provide off-street parking overnight and install an immobiliser.

No-claim bonus

No-claim bonuses can more than halve the cost of your premiums. Generally it will take you up to five years to gain the top no-claim bonus of 60 per cent, increasing from a 20 per cent bonus at the end of year one by 10 per cent a year. A 60 per cent no-claim bonus means you are rated a No 1 by insurance companies; a 20 per cent discount is Rating No 5. Each claim can wipe two years off your no-claim bonus. As a result it's always good to check your individual circumstances to see if it's worth making a claim. You might pay such a high premium for the next two years that it wipes out any benefit. AAMI, however, is one insurer that offers a lifetime no-claims bonus for those deemed a low risk that is if you have made no claims for three years. If you then make a claim, you will still qualify for the No I rating Even if you were to make three claims in the one year, the company will still rate you as No I and will still allow you to renew your policy when it expires.

Excess versus premiums

One way to lower your premiums is to pay a higher excess. Most insurers request you to pay the first $500 worth of damages anyway, so why not increase that to $1,000 and lower your premiums? Willingness to pay a higher excess is also useful when dealing with a younger driver. Some insurers will limit the increase in premiums when you nominate a young driver, but they will invariably have a special excess loading should the young driver be involved in a crash. With some insurers you can choose to pay no excess at all and pay a higher premium. This suits those who think it is better to pay a higher premium in the first instance so minor repairs will be covered under the policy.

Registration information

For information on pricing variations announced 18th December, 2001, click here.ln NSW vehicles must: Be registered, exempt from registration, or be covered by an Unregistered .Vehicle Permit before they can be parked or driven on NSW roads. Display a current registration label, and number plates. Out of date labels must not be displayed.

When establishing transferring or changing the details of Registration., 

1 proof of identity
2 proof of acquisition, that is, how you acquired the vehicle
3 current Compulsory Third Party (CTP) green slip
4 inspection report (blue slip)
5 payment, including stamp duty.

To transfer the registration of a vehicle you must show

1 proof of your identity
2 proof of acquisition and
3 pay a transfer fee and stamp duty.
This to be completed within 14 days of acquiring the vehicle, otherwise a surcharge will apply.

Roadworthiness and Insurance

Passenger vehicles that are more than 3 years old (NSW) must be inspected every year at an Authorised Inspection Station (AIS). A Safety Check Inspection Report (Pink Slip) is issued when the vehicle passes th inspection. All vehicles (not including trailers) require the Green Slip to prove that they are covered by Compulsory Third Party (CTP) injury insurance. The Motor
Accident Authority website provides a comprehensive price comparison of green slips. To renew the registration of a vehicle, take the vehicle's Pink Slip, Green Slip and the Registration Form to your local RTA Motor Registry.(NSW)