Automotive. How to correctly complete a peaceful report?
Take good care of the accident sketch: lane names, signs on panels and on the ground, lights… Photo Drive Case
If the integrated report is accompanied by a short user manual, it is strongly recommended not to wait for an accident to read it and understand how it works.
Start by studying the document and read it carefully, especially in its middle part where the crosses you write can change everything: you can go from victim to responsible!
And to avoid panic, start by first filling in information about the vehicle, the insurance… You can focus on the important things.
Mistakes not to make
– Witness: the passengers of the vehicles in question cannot be witnesses. Even the family members or relatives of the driver. If the accident happened in front of witnesses, record their full contact details. If not, clearly indicate that there is no witness: this will avoid the late production of the so-called convenience witness.
– The box trap: Boxes 2, 4, 8, 10, 14, 15 and 16 of a peace report are often misinterpreted. The challenge is not to confuse the driver who is maneuvering the oncoming! If you check these boxes, you are automatically responsible for the loss.
– The boxes lead the sketch: sketch in as much detail as possible: street names, traffic signs, traffic lights, etc. Feel free to take pictures. Attention: in case of conflict between the boxes and the sketch, the boxes will come first!
Do not try to rush to complete the report. You risk falling for a scammer who will make you responsible when you had nothing to do with it. General picture
Always enter the number of crosses
Under the boxes, you should always fill in the number of crosses. If not specified. It is possible that one or more boxes have been checked without your knowledge, which can lead to unfortunate consequences following incorrect information entered by the opposing driver.
Under these conditions, the latter has every opportunity to check the situations that are favorable to him and then indicate the number of boxes that he himself marked, without necessarily reflecting the reality of the truth
The importance of reserves
Do not confuse the point of impact with damage: the heading nº10 is used to indicate the point of impact, and not the damage sustained by your vehicle. You indicate this with an arrow that corresponds to the direction in which the other vehicle is coming.
Feel free to punctuate your statement with reservations, especially regarding damage evaluation: “subject to concealed damage” or “subject to expertise”.
Similarly, check the “injured” box in the slightest doubt. If health complications arise later, the link to the accident will be easier to establish. Even superficial injuries must be reported in order for the person to be covered by personal injury insurance.
Check the opposing party’s responses
Even if you have, a priori, the same interpretation of the circumstances of the accident, it is necessary to check the information entered by the opposing driver. If you ask them, you should indicate this in the “Observations” block section 14 of the report.
This section can also be used if you want to provide more details on the circumstances of the accident. If there is no observation to be noted, the motorist has to enter the mention “None” and above all do not leave the space blank.
Do not sign if you do not agree
In case of disagreement with the content of the joint report, it is necessary to share it in the “Observations” section located at the back. However, it is possible not to sign the report and send it to the insurer anyway, clearly explaining the situation and attaching, in support of his request, photos, testimonials, etc.
In such a situation, if possible, ask for testimonials to support your version of the facts.
Do not admit any responsibility
In the “Circumstances of the accident” space at the back of the report, do not reveal your supposed mistakes. It is up to the insurer to determine everyone’s responsibilities based on the information gathered.
Therefore, it is necessary to be very careful when filling out a peaceful report and check everything before signing or at least sending it to your insurance company.
These precautions make it possible to prevent the opposing party from exploiting some unintended mistake, or ticking forgotten boxes to get out of the game.
