A car accident in Quebec: What should you do?

Published on May 2, 2017 in Tips & Advice: Protect your car by The Car Guide Partner

This advertorial is brought to you by Desjardins Insurance

A car accident can happen to anyone, even the most careful drivers. If you’ve involved in an accident, knowing what to do can be very useful—and save you a lot of stress! The questions you’ll inevitably ask yourself are: Should I file a claim with my insurer? If so, how? And is there any way to keep my premium from going up? We’ll be going over all these points and more.

First of all, stay calm. That will help you deal with the situation as effectively as possible.

Then:

Tip: You can use your smartphone to take a picture of the other driver’s licence, registration and insurance certificate.

Whether or not your vehicle is damaged, there are a lot of good reasons to file a claim with your insurer, especially if another person was involved or property was damaged:

Checking your auto insurance policy is the best way to know if damage to your vehicle is covered. If you’re still not sure about your coverage, your deductible or any other details, contact an insurance agent, who can help you make the right decision and assess what impact a claim would have on your premium.

Tip: As a preventive measure, you can sign up for optional Accident-Free Protection. That way, your insurance premium won’t go up after your first at-fault accident.

Your auto insurance premium may go up after a claim. But there are other easy ways to :

Tip: Depending on your profile or vehicle type, you could get a from your insurer.

Distracted driving is responsible for nearly four million collisions each year in North America*, which goes to show just how common it is. The good news is you can avoid distracted driving by being more vigilant. Here are the main distractions you should avoid while driving:

Tip: If you’re a client of , their program records the number of phone-related distractions that occur while you drive (for information purposes only). You can then use that information to assess and improve your driving habits to lower your risk of getting in an accident.

To sum up

The best way to avoid getting in an accident is to reduce the number of distractions at the wheel and avoid doing anything that could take your attention off the road. If you’re in an accident, stay calm. Call the police if someone is hurt, otherwise just fill out the joint accident report.

Then contact your insurer to declare the loss and ask them how a claim could affect your insurance premium. Remember that there are other ways to lower your premium and that your insurance agent is the best person to help you with all your auto insurance needs.

In the meantime, drive safe!

Sources (1)
Distracted Driving – Royal Canadian Mounted Police

Accident with collision: What to do? – Desjardins Insurance

Distractions at the wheel: Did you know? – Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec

Car Accidents: What to Do – Éducaloi

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