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An accident involving a company vehicle can create a lot of questions very quickly.

Is anyone hurt? Do you need to call police? What information should the driver collect? Who needs to be notified? When should the insurance claim be reported? And what does the business need to do if the vehicle cannot be used?

The easiest way to think about it is in two parts.

First, the driver — whether that is an employee or the business owner — needs to deal with the accident scene safely and collect the right information.

Then, the business needs to report the accident, start the Commercial Auto claim and take the necessary steps to keep the operation moving.

Here is what to do.

Part 1: What should the driver do after an accident?

Whether the person driving is an employee or the owner of the business, the immediate steps are essentially the same.

1. Make sure everyone is safe

Safety comes first.

Stop the vehicle and check whether the driver, passengers or anyone else involved has been injured.

If someone is hurt or emergency assistance is required, call 911 immediately.

If the vehicles can be moved safely out of active traffic, do so. Turn on hazard lights and take reasonable steps to make the scene visible to other drivers.

Don’t worry about the insurance claim yet.

Deal with people and immediate safety first.

2. Call police when required

Police should be contacted when required under provincial law and in situations involving things such as:

• Injuries or fatalities
• A hit-and-run
• Suspected impaired driving
• Significant property damage
• A vehicle that cannot safely be moved
• Damage to public property
• Other circumstances where police assistance is needed

If police attend, record the officer’s name and the police file or incident number.

If you are unsure whether an accident needs to be reported, it is better to ask.

3. Exchange information with the other driver

Once everyone is safe, collect the information that will be needed for the claim.

Get the other driver’s:

• Full name
• Address
• Phone number
• Driver’s licence information
• Licence plate
• Vehicle make and model
• Insurance company
• Policy information

If other vehicles are involved, collect the same information from each driver.

If there are independent witnesses, get their names and contact information as well.

4. Take photos and document what happened

The accident scene can change quickly.

Vehicles get moved. Traffic resumes. Weather changes. Witnesses leave.

If it is safe to do so, take photographs or video of:

• Your company vehicle
• The other vehicle or vehicles
• Damage to each vehicle
• Vehicle positions
• Licence plates
• The overall accident scene
• Road conditions
• Traffic signs or signals
• Skid marks or debris
• Damage to other property
• Weather and visibility conditions
• Any trailer or equipment involved

Also make a note of:

• Date and time
• Exact location
• Direction the vehicles were travelling
• What happened immediately before the accident
• Any injuries you are aware of

Don’t rely on remembering all of this later.

5. Don’t admit fault

Be courteous and make sure everyone is okay, but don’t try to determine fault at the scene.

Don’t:

Admit responsibility

• Agree to pay for damage
• Sign anything accepting fault
• Get into an argument about who caused the accident

Stick to the facts.

The circumstances of the accident can be reviewed later by the appropriate insurers and other parties.

6. Notify the business

If an employee is driving the vehicle, they should contact their manager, supervisor or designated company contact as soon as reasonably possible.

The employee should tell the business:

• Where the accident happened
• Whether anyone is injured
• Whether police are involved
• Whether the vehicle can be driven
• Where the vehicle is located
• Whether a tow is required
• What other vehicles or property were involved

The business can then take over the insurance and operational side of the situation.

What if the business owner was driving?

If the owner was behind the wheel, the same accident-scene steps apply.

Once the immediate situation is under control, the owner simply moves to the business side of the process and reports the claim.

7. Be careful about towing and repairs

If the vehicle cannot be safely driven, it may need to be towed.

Make sure you know where the vehicle is being taken and keep any towing paperwork or receipts.

Unless emergency work is necessary to prevent further damage, don’t authorize major repairs before the insurer or claims adjuster has had an opportunity to provide direction.

If you are unsure what to do, contact Munn.

Part 2: What should the business do after the accident?

Once the driver is safe and the basic accident information has been collected, the business needs to turn its attention to the Commercial Auto claim.

1. Get the information from the driver

Start by getting a clear understanding of what happened.

Collect:

• Driver’s name
• Company vehicle information
• Date, time and location
• Description of the accident
• Information on the other vehicles and drivers
• Photos and video
• Witness information
• Police information or incident number
• Details of any injuries
• Towing information
• Location of the company vehicle

If your business has its own accident-reporting form, complete that as well.

Don’t wait for every single detail before starting the insurance claim.

2. Contact Munn and report the claim

Report the accident as soon as reasonably possible.

You do not need to know exactly who was at fault or have every repair estimate before calling.

When reporting the claim, it is useful to have:

• Business name
• Commercial Auto policy number, if available
• Driver’s name
• Vehicle information
• Date, time and location of the accident
• Brief description of what happened
• Other driver and insurance information
• Police report information, if applicable
• Details of known injuries
• Photos or other documentation
• Location of the damaged vehicle

To report a Commercial Auto claim, call Munn at 1-855-726-8627.

Munn can help get the claim reported to the insurance company and explain what happens next.

3. Work with the claims adjuster

Once the claim is reported, the insurance company will normally assign a claims adjuster.

The adjuster may:

• Get a more detailed statement about the accident
• Review the applicable coverage
• Obtain police or other reports
• Review photographs
• Arrange an appraisal or estimate
• Provide direction on repairs
• Discuss the deductible
• Address liability issues
• Deal with other parties involved in the accident
• Discuss rental or temporary replacement transportation where applicable

Make sure the appropriate person at your business knows who the adjuster is and keeps their contact information handy.

4. Figure out what to do with the damaged vehicle

The insurer or adjuster can provide direction on the next steps for the vehicle.

Depending on the damage, this could involve:

• Towing
• An appraisal
• Repair estimates
• Selecting a repair facility
• Repairs
• Determining whether the vehicle is repairable
• Settlement if the vehicle is a total loss

Keep receipts and records for expenses related to the claim.

5. Ask about a temporary replacement vehicle

For a business, this can be one of the most important questions.

How are you going to keep working while the company vehicle is being repaired?

Depending on the coverage purchased and the circumstances of the loss, coverage may be available for a rental or temporary replacement vehicle.

This can be particularly important when the business has only one or two vehicles.

If your only service van is off the road for three weeks, you still have employees to move, customers to visit and jobs to complete.

Ask about this early in the claim process.

6. Deal with any employee injury requirements

If an employee was injured while driving for work, the automobile insurance claim may not be the only reporting requirement.

The business may also have workplace injury reporting obligations.

Make sure the appropriate person within the organization follows any applicable occupational health and safety, workers’ compensation or internal HR procedures.

7. Keep all claim information together

Commercial Auto claims can generate a lot of paperwork.

Keep a claim file containing things such as:

• Claim number
• Adjuster’s name and contact information
• Police information
• Driver’s accident report
• Photos and videos
• Witness information
• Towing invoices
• Repair estimates
• Rental invoices
• Receipts
• Correspondence with the insurer
• Internal incident reports

If the business receives a legal letter, Statement of Claim or other legal document arising from the accident, send it to Munn or the insurer promptly.

Don’t respond to legal allegations on your own.

8. Manage the impact on the business

The insurance claim is only one part of the situation.

The business may also need to deal with:

• Employee schedules
• Missed appointments
• Delayed deliveries
• Equipment that was in the vehicle
• Tools or materials that were damaged
• A trailer involved in the accident
• Customer commitments
• Temporary transportation
• Replacement vehicles

Some of these items may be covered under other parts of your insurance program, while others may not be covered at all.

Tell Munn about the whole loss, not just the damage to the vehicle.

9. Review the accident afterward

Once the immediate claim is under control, take some time to understand what happened.

Ask:

• What caused or contributed to the accident?
• Was the employee following company driving procedures?
• Was driver training an issue?
• Were weather or road conditions a factor?
• Was the vehicle properly maintained?
• Was distracted driving involved?
• Have you had similar accidents before?
• Could anything reasonably be changed to reduce the chance of another accident?

The goal isn’t simply to assign blame.

It is to identify opportunities to make your drivers, vehicles and business safer.

Make sure your drivers know what to do before an accident happens

Every employee who drives a company vehicle should know the accident procedure before they ever need it.

Consider keeping basic accident instructions in every company vehicle.

That information could include:

• Who to call at the business
• Munn’s claims number
• Insurance information
• Vehicle registration
• Basic accident instructions
• A form for recording other driver and witness information
• What photos to take
• What to do if the vehicle cannot be driven

The process should be simple enough that an employee can follow it while dealing with a stressful situation.

A useful way to explain it to drivers is:

Be safe. Get the information. Take pictures. Don’t admit fault. Call the company.

Then the business takes it from there.

When an accident happens, you don’t have to figure out the Commercial Auto claims process on your own.

Munn can help you report the loss, understand the next steps and work through the claim with your insurance company.

To report a Commercial Auto claim, call Munn at 1-855-726-8627.

Whether you have one work vehicle or a whole fleet, we’re here when you need us.