Car Accident Perth
If you’ve found yourself involved in a car accident in Perth, you may be left wondering what you need to do after the accident to get things moving again – after all, it’s not the sort of thing you think about until you’re put in the position. Here’s a look at the major things you’ll need to take care of.
Report the accident to the police
In Western Australia, you’re required to report a car accident to the police if:
- the damage caused to vehicles or property is likely to cost more than $3,000 to repair
- the person who owns the property which was damaged is not present
- someone was injured in the crash.
Report the accident to your insurance company
Even if you’re not going to make a claim, most insurance companies require you to report an accident to them as soon as possible. This is important to not only comply with the conditions of your policy, but in case the other party involved in the accident makes a claim against you down the track, or you decide to make a claim later on.
Arrange to have the damage to your car repaired
If you have insurance, your insurer should let you know what you need to do to get your car repaired when you call them to the report the car accident in Perth. They may have specific repairers or tow truck services that you need to use, so make sure you’re clear on their requirements before you arrange anything yourself.
If you don’t have insurance, the repairer you go to is up to you but you may want to obtain quotes from more than one repairer before you decide to go ahead with the work. These written quotes may also be required if you were not at fault in the accident and will be seeking damages from the other driver. Legal Aid Western Australia has more information on the process for claiming damages.
Hire a car while yours is not drivable
Whether your car has been left un-roadworthy immediately following the accident, or it will just need to go in for minor repairs at some stage, you’re likely to be without it for anywhere from a few days to a number of weeks.
Hiring a car for this period of time can help you avoid the inconvenience of being without your own car, and many drivers can access a hire car at no cost to them.
If you were not at fault in the car accident, the at-fault party is legally responsible for covering the costs of repairing your car and also the cost of a rental car while yours is off the road.
Acorn Rentals specialise in providing accident replacement vehicles to drivers who were not at fault, and we directly charge the at-fault driver’s insurance company so you don’t need to pay anything out of your own pocket. While it’s not common knowledge to most Australians that you can access a rental vehicle free of charge if you were not at fault in an accident, it is easy to arrange. You can get started by applying online or over the phone.