Being involved in a car accident is stressful for everyone concerned. Whether you’re the at-fault driver, a not at fault driver or a passenger, you’re likely to be anxious and worried about what happens next.

As always, the first thing is making sure nobody’s been hurt. You’re then required by law to exchange details with the other people involved in the accident.
Once this is done, especially if you’re the not at fault party, you may wonder how to arrange an accident replacement vehicle and how it all works.
But first, let’s discuss what you should do if you’re involved in a car accident.

What to do if you’re involved in a car accident?

Once you’ve made sure no one’s been hurt, you’re required by law to exchange the following information with other people involved in the crash:

Your name and address
The name and address of the owner of your vehicle (if you’re not the owner)
The registration number of your vehicle
Any other information necessary to identify your vehicle (such as the year, make and model).

As well as obtaining the above information yourself, you should also get the following information to protect you in case there’s a dispute:

The contact number of the other driver/s
The contact number of the owner/s of the other vehicle/s (if different from the driver)
The insurance details of the other driver/s
A photo of the other driver/s Driver’s Licence (front and back)
The year, make, model and registration number of the other vehicle/s
Photos of the vehicle/s involved showing the damage caused by the accident and any pre-existing damage taken from multiple angles. It’s best if this is done before the cars are moved if it’s safe to do so
Photos of the accident scene
The name, address and contact details of any witnesses

You may also be required to provide specific information to the police if, for example, anyone is injured or if one of the drivers fails to exchange details.

Am I eligible for a replacement car?

Once you’ve exchanged particulars and left the accident scene, your next concern is likely to be how you get around while your car is being repaired or replaced (if it’s a write off).

In recent years, many companies have set up business in Australia offering hire cars to ‘not at fault’ drivers involved in car accidents. The way it works is that the company will hire the customer a like-for-like replacement car to use until their vehicle is repaired or replaced. They’ll then arrange for the hire costs to be recovered from the insurer of the party at fault, usually by engaging a lawyer or debt collector on behalf of the customer. This is all done at no out-of-pocket cost to the customer (however, the customer will still need to pay for things such as fuel or tolls).

These companies offer a service that is tailored to motorists. In comparison, conventional hire car companies (such as Hertz or Thrifty) require payment up-front or at the end of the hire and don’t usually deliver or collect the hire car, while insurers will often only hire cars for a limited time (usually 14 days) or won’t provide a like-for-like replacement.

However, before the company hires you a car, they’ll check to make you’re not at fault for the accident. This is because the hire costs can only be recovered from the other party if you prove they caused the crash. If you can do this, then the other party will be required by law to pay your reasonable costs of the crash, including the cost of hiring a replacement car.

As well as making sure you’re not at fault, the hire car company will also want to make sure the other driver is insured, so they have some guarantee of payment.

So, how do you figure out who’s at-fault?

In most road accidents, there’s an at fault party and a not at fault party. After an accident, you’ll need to determine who is responsible. Sometimes the at-fault driver is disputed, but a quick call to either driver’s insurance company or an accident management company such as IITR can sort out who was at-fault. This is where the information you obtained at the accident scene will come in handy.

Fault is determined by negligence.

A negligent driver is generally someone who didn’t take reasonable care when driving. What’s considered reasonable driving on Australian roads is pretty standard across the country. Nevertheless, each state and territory does have their own set of road rules and it’s up to every driver to understand these rules.

What to do if you’re involved in a car accident?

Am I eligible for a replacement car?

So, how do you figure out who’s at-fault?

You’re not at fault. So, how do you arrange a replacement car?

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