A foggy January morning, an unfortunate manoeuvre or missed a right of way sign? Whatever the cause, any car collision means hassle. Even if you 'only' have eye damage. In this article, find out what steps to take to quickly get the compensation you are entitled to.
Ensuring road safety
Place the warning triangle and turn on your flashing lights to alert other road users to the stationary vehicles. Put on a fluorescent jacket yourself. Was anyone injured? If so, always call 112; even minor injuries require the police to file an official report.
Were no injuries fortunately sustained? Then clear the road as quickly as possible. But first make sure that there can be no discussion about the accident with the other driver.
Rule out doubt about the collision
Before you move the vehicles - only if there are no injuries - mark with chalk where they were when they collided. Take photos of the situation as well as a sketch. Does your car no longer work? Then leave the warning triangle and contact our call centre immediately , we will help you.
Once the vehicles are off the road, you fill in a European collision form. On this, you and the other driver each give your version of what happened. Here, attach great importance to the outline of the situation, which is crucial afterwards for both insurers to judge the accident. If you do not agree with what the other party notes or signs, state this on the form instead of signing it.
You can also choose to fill in a digital European Collision Form, via the app Crashform. This will guide you in passing on all the details correctly and prevent you from overlooking anything. The app also delivers the form directly to your insurer, making it quicker to process.
Visit your KBC insurance agent
After the traffic accident, notify KBC Insurance as soon as possible. You can do this via the smartphone app KBC Mobile or by calling our office.
In both cases, we guide you through the claims process. In other words, we make sure that, for both physical damage and damage to property, you get the compensation to which you are entitled.
We check exactly what costs your car insurance policy covers, such as the repair costs of your car, medical expenses or loss of income due to being injured or unable to use your car. Often, your insurance will cover many other costs arising from the accident.
Get your car repaired
You choose which garage to have your car repaired at. If the repair cost exceeds 500 euros, KBC Insurance will have the damage assessed by a vehicle expert.
If you work with a repairer from our network, there is no need for a separate expert to analyse the damage and your compensation will be paid out faster. Moreover, KBC will then pay the garage owner directly. However, you will have to pay any excess yourself, and that amount depends on the specific conditions in your insurance policy.
Injured? Get legal aid
If you were injured in the car accident, always call the police. Then have your injuries treated and documented by a doctor. Also, inform us as soon as possible, because then we can best defend your interests. Especially if your policy includes legal aid .
To ensure that you get the full compensation you are due, it is very important that you provide us with all documents (e.g. invoices) that have anything to do with the accident. We will contact the other party's insurance company to ensure that your claim is compensated as quickly as possible. This often happens fastest when we come to an amicable settlement, although of course you decide whether you agree to this yourself.
If we disagree with the other party, we will initiate legal proceedings for you and pay the costs involved. If you are eventually vindicated by the court, the other party will also pay your damages.
In this online tool, you can go through all the above steps in even more detail.
