The reason you have insurance is to help you when you have an accident. Below are a number of suggestions and some useful advice to help you if or when an accident occurs, and to make the process of making a claim with Zurich Auto as simple as possible.
WHAT TO DO AT THE SCENE
First Priorities:
- Attend to any injured person first
- Call an ambulance if you believe the injuries may be serious (Mobile - ring *555)
- Get and accept help including veterinarian assistance if appropriate.
- Be careful about remaining on the road - move vehicles, people and horses to a position of safety.
- Notify the Police if injuries are involved or if you believe the other party is at fault who might dispute liability later on. (Remember you have a legal obligation to notify them if "any person or animal is injured or property is damaged"
- If you have a camera take some photos of the accident scene.
Your Vehicle:
- Make sure it's safe to drive before returning home.
- If your vehicle cannot be moved or is unsafe to drive, have it towed to a place of safety (never abandon it!)
- Remove valuable possessions from the vehicle if it has to be towed away
The Other Vehicle(s):
- If the other party admits liability, ask them to make and sign a simple statement or get someone to witness this. (This must be someone who is not a passenger in your vehicle.)
- NEVER admit liability or make any offer of payment to any party involved.
- Keep calm - remember that no-one means to have an accident, and arguing will not help the situation.
-
Take down details of the other party: (this will help you when you come to complete a claim form, and help us recover costs from other parties if you were not at fault) such as;
- The Year, Make & Model, and Registration Number of the other vehicle.
- The Name, Address and Telephone number of the Driver of the other vehicle.
- The Name, Address and Telephone number of the Owner of the other vehicle (if the driver is not the owner).
- The Name of the Insurer of the other vehicle, and if possible which branch office, or name of their insurance agent or broker.
Detail what happened:
- Date, Time, Weather conditions, What the light was like, What the condition of the road was - sealed, metal etc.
- Exactly where the accident happened, Direction, Speed etc of both your vehicle and the other vehicle , The Name, Address and Telephone number of occupant(s) of your vehicle, The Name, Address and Telephone number of any Independent Witnesses, The Name, Number and Station of any Police Officer attending.
- A list of the damage to your vehicle, A list of the damage to the other vehicle(s), A list of the damage to any other property (premises, fences, poles etc).
- Draw a sketch plan of the accident scene, showing road, lanes, traffic lights, exact positions and directions of vehicles, skid marks etc. The more information the better!
WHAT TO DO AT A LATER TIME
- Advise us of your claim by using the online claims advice form www.zurich.co.nz
- Take your vehicle to a panel beater who will notify us of the repair costs, and also arrange for an Assessor to inspect your vehicle if required. In most cases you can nominate your own repairer.
- We will either authorise repairs straightaway or request an assessor to view the damage.
Some repairers have courtesy vehicles available for their clients. However, if you need to hire a vehicle, the cost may not form part of the claim. We suggest you talk to your Broker before hiring a vehicle.
A ZURICH CLAIM FORM WILL NEED TO BE COMPLETED
Either download the form from above or email nz.claims@zurich.co.nz or phone ZURICH (0508 987 424).
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
Don't forget that you may be called upon to pay any excess applicable under the Policy, whether you were at fault or not. We will try very hard to recover this money for you.
Keep a record of any other costs which you might have to personally pay as a result of the accident, and we will always endeavour to recover these for you.