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Dealing with the aftermath of a car accident can be both time-consuming and difficult. But if you weren’t at fault, the driver who caused the accident is usually responsible for reporting it to their insurance company. However, it’s important for you to contact your own insurer as well, especially if the other driver does not have any insurance. So, what else do you have to do when you’ve been involved in a car accident and it wasn’t your fault?

Gather all the necessary information

It’s very important that you gather all information from the other party at the scene of the crash if you can. This includes the driver’s name and address, the name of their insurance company, and any policy information. You should also take any statements from witnesses and try and take pictures of the scene. With this evidence, you’ll be able to support your position on the cause of the accident if necessary.

In which scenarios would you be not at fault?

When two cars are involved in an accident, the percentage of liability is usually shared between the parties. However, there are certain situations in which only one driver is likely to be considered fully at fault. These include:

– The driver admits liability at the crash scene
– The other driver is drunk/intoxicated
– You’re rear-ended by another driver
– The driver runs a red light
– They don’t obey a “stop” or “give way” sign

Notify the correct people

In Australia, under most circumstances your initial point of contact must be the driver who is at fault, unless they have passed away or can’t be located (in this case you can approach their insurer directly). If the other driver claims on their insurance, the company will most likely contact you for information.

Even if you did not cause the accident, you need to contact your own insurance company too. If your own insurer decides the accident was caused solely by the other driver, you will not be penalised even if you decide to make a claim.

Rent reasonably

Some insurance companies tell accident victims they will only pay a certain amount per day for car rental. But as a victim of another person’s careless or dangerous driving, you have the right to recoup the costs associated with the disruption it has caused you, including the costs of a hire vehicle while your own car is in for repair. However, the best advice we can offer here is to rent reasonably. Often the best thing to do is to rent a similar car to the one you own.

If you’ve been involved in a ‘not my fault‘ accident and are now looking for a rental car, get in touch with us at Not My Fault today for more guidance and information.