SOP for car accidents in Canada
Car accidents always occur frequently during the extreme weather in Canada’s cold winter. What should you do if you accidentally encounter a traffic accident? For most international students or new immigrants, the chance of driving accidents is limited, but for those who are unfortunate enough to be hit, it will bring endless troubles and even lifelong regrets to the injured. In Alberta, there is a law that allows you to report damage under 2,000 Canadian dollars without having to report it. However, we recommend that everyone, no matter how big or small the accident is, call the police just to be on the safe side. But don’t panic. In this episode, we help you sort out the SOP to correctly respond when a car accident occurs.
Car accidents happen by accident. After reading the SOP, you may have discovered that after a traffic accident, you need to remain calm and collect a lot of information in a psychologically traumatized state. This is indeed not an easy task. So we need to know the basic handling process of a car accident, and it is important to face it calmly!
1. What should you do first?
First of all, when there is a car accident, whether you hit yourself or you were hit, you must stay calm, stop the car immediately, and turn on the hazard lights. If someone is injured, please call 911 immediately. If no one is injured, call the police because this is to protect your own rights. In the event of a collision, do not voluntarily accept responsibility or sign a statement of liability, and do not accept compensation or discuss any settlement now. If you hit someone else, please remember to stop the car. Hit-and-run in Canada will result in penalty points, or even criminal prosecution in serious cases.
2. Ensure site safety
If your vehicle is still drivable, move it to the side of the road or to a safe location to avoid blocking traffic or causing further danger. If your vehicle is immobilized, please turn on your emergency flashers and use reflective or triangular cones or roadblocks to alert other drivers that all passengers must exit the vehicle. If the injury is serious, remember not to move the injured person to avoid worsening their injuries. But in the event of serious injury or suspected drunk driving, the vehicle needs to remain in place to allow police to investigate the collision scene.
3. Gather information
Before waiting for the police to arrive, you should try to collect as much information as possible from the accident scene, including the time and place of the accident, and the names, addresses, phone numbers, driver’s license numbers, etc. of other drivers and passengers involved in the accident. If there are other vehicles involved in the accident, also record the driver’s basic information, driver’s license number, license plate number, etc. If there are witnesses, write down their contact information and take photos or videos of the scene. These photos can be used as evidence of the accident to help you handle claims or lawsuits. If the person refuses to provide information, be sure to record the registration number, vehicle make and driving appearance before they leave the scene, and contact your insurance company for advice.
4. Contact your insurance company
Contact your car insurance company within 24 hours of the accident and tell them you were involved in an accident. They will assign a claims agent to your case and tell you how to repair or replace your vehicle and how to claim medical bills or other compensation. You will also need to keep all receipts and bills related to the accident as evidence for your claim. If you feel that the accident was the other party’s fault, or the other party was uninsured, or you are dissatisfied with the insurance company’s handling, you may consider hiring an attorney to represent you.
5. Seek legal assistance
If you were injured physically or mentally in an accident, a lawyer can help you file a lawsuit against the other party or their insurance company for a higher compensation amount. An attorney can also help you negotiate with your insurance company to reach a reasonable and fair settlement. In Canada, each province has different legal requirements and statutes of limitations, so contact an experienced and reputable lawyer as early as possible to avoid missing out on the opportunity to claim compensation.
