The question above is something that I want to share with readers when it comes to car accidents. Who do you call, where do you send your vehicles too and what should you do during an automotive accident in Singapore.
Here’s what I’ve learnt from my experience being in an accident earlier this year.
In Feb, my car was rear ended by a passenger car, which impact thrust my car forward to hit a lorry ending my car being sandwiched between the 2 vehicles. Luckily for us, no one was injured, the damage was mainly confined to our vehicles with the rear vehicle and mine being the most badly damaged.
Lesson 1 – Do not entertain touts
Almost immediately, workshop touts started appearing around us to offer their services. Asking for us to send our vehicles to their shops, most of these are not authorized workshops, they are also commonly known as accident workshops which tend to put in exorbitant amounts to claim against the insurance company of the vehicle at fault.
These are people you might want to avoid as it would drive up the overall insurance cost for the industry. Insurance companies always warn us to go to authorized workshops which have friendly pricing.
Lesson 2 – Snap photos like no tomorrow
Even if its not your fault, make sure to snap as many photos as you can of the scene. This is to ensure no doubt can be raised if either party disputes the claims and the insurance companies need to use visuals as proof.
Lesson 3 – Unplug your car camera power
Make sure to be safe your video in the car camera isnt overwritten. Removing the power cable would confirm that the footage is preserve till your workshop or insurance company is able to retrieve the footage. You dont want it going missing when you need to proof your innocents.
Lesson 4 – Brand New Cars with Warranty (Always Go Back to the Dealer)
No matter how good you are with your regular workshop, if your car is new and has a lot of electronic gadgets, I would suggest going back to the dealership to find your car.
Reason being, your dealer’s workshop is equipped and have experience people working on your make and model, they have the spare parts available and typically will stick to a given SLA and installation SOP.
Going to your regular workshop, initially feel its helping the small business owner, but for brand new cars within 1-3 years I really recommend going back to the dealership for peace of mind.
Lesson 5 – Report your accident within 24 hours
Always head to an authorize reporting center to make a report on the accident even if its not your fault. This is to log the case and inform your insurance company of the incident. This is important even for private settlement cases.
I hope you wouldn’t experience what I experienced earlier in the year. But if you do, please remember these tips so that you wouldn’t have any issues
What is the definition of authorize workshop
This is a list of workshops that are on the panel of your car insurance companies. An example find AIG authorized workshops – here These workshops have a common understanding or agreement with the insurance companies that they will play ball and not have crazy markups on claims.
By the way, if you are looking for a tow truck you can checkout the following numbers, all are open 24 hours a day.
- BH Auto Services Pte Ltd – 9101 3232
- Island Recovery Services – 9182 8211
- AJ Towing – 9023 4027
- Kian Soon Towing Service – 9672 9382
Image source – https://pixabay.com/photos/car-crash-wreck-accident-831928/