After Qingming Festival, spring has truly arrived. Those who enjoy self-driving often organize trips to nearby areas or neighboring provinces and cities for spring outings. But when driving, you might encounter traffic jams or rugged mountain roads, and a moment of carelessness could easily lead to minor scratches or accidents.
At such times, nearly all car owners will think of their insurance first after calling the police. But what should you do if an accident happens in a remote area or suburb? To answer this, we consulted several insurance industry insiders, whose helpful tips may offer you a useful reference.
Tip 1: Carry your insurance card or policy with you
Xiao Chen, who works at a major insurance company, told us that while reporting an accident, you can provide your license plate number for the insurer to verify, but it's best to carry your insurance card or policy with you when traveling. This serves as proof of insurance and contains basic information about your coverage, making it convenient to refer to when needed.
Tip 2: Report the incident as soon as it happens, no matter how small
Secondly, after a traffic accident, you should call the police promptly. Once the traffic police arrive, they can generally determine and handle the accident on-site. The liability determination issued by the traffic police is crucial for claims. Also, check whether the police have determined you are at fault. If you are responsible, you should immediately notify your insurance company because most policies require you to report the accident within 24 hours. Failure to report it in time may result in the insurer being unable to inspect the scene, which could affect damage assessment and claims. However, it is generally recommended to report the accident to your insurance company as soon as possible.
If the traffic police determine you are not at fault, don’t assume you have no responsibility and forget to inform your insurer. In accidents involving pedestrians, always call the police first, then report to your insurance company. Compulsory traffic insurance (CTI) does not differentiate by level of fault—so even if you are not responsible for the accident, you may still bear civil compensation liability. Another scenario: if the other party is fully at fault but is uncooperative in negotiating compensation, you can ask your own insurance company to assist with the claim process, or even pursue subrogation. After all, when you’re in an unfamiliar place, handling personal claims can be troublesome.
Also, if you’ve purchased your CTI and commercial insurance from different insurers, you’ll need to report the accident to both companies.
Tip 3: Take photos of the scene yourself if an adjuster can’t arrive in time
Nowadays, almost all insurance companies offer nationwide coverage and can delegate investigations. When an accident occurs, you need to patiently wait for the adjuster and cooperate with the insurer’s inspection work. But sometimes, if the accident happens in a remote suburb and the adjuster cannot get there in time, and if the traffic police allow the scene to be cleared or the third party is eager to leave, you can keep evidence of the scene temporarily with the insurer’s consent. For example, use a high-resolution mobile phone or camera to photograph the damaged parts, the other vehicle’s CTI sticker (which contains the underwriter and validity period), the third party’s vehicle registration, etc. If conditions permit, you can also sign a voluntary scene-clearance form. This is only applicable if there are no injuries and the claim amount does not exceed 10,000 yuan. If no third party is involved and it’s a single-vehicle accident caused entirely by your own actions, you must wait for the adjuster to arrive, as most insurers require them to inspect the scene to ensure its authenticity. Leaving the scene without authorization and causing unclear evidence may result in a 30% deduction in compensation. But if you’re in a very remote area, you may take photos or record the scene yourself with the insurer’s consent.
Tip 4: Get the adjuster to confirm the damaged areas in writing
This will make it easier to arrange repairs later
Xiao Chen explained that whether to repair your vehicle locally depends on the extent of the damage. Once an accident occurs, it will inevitably affect the vehicle. In such cases, the severity of the damage needs to be assessed. If it doesn’t impact driving safety and repair costs are low, some car owners choose to have their vehicle repaired at a professional 4S shop after returning home. At this point, it’s important to prepare complete claims documentation when filing for reimbursement. In addition to the liability determination, you should get a written confirmation from the on-site adjuster listing the damaged parts of your vehicle—for instance, the exact locations of affected components—and provide as much detail as possible. This way, you’ll also have an idea of the estimated claim amount. When you get back to your home region to have the vehicle fixed, your insurance provider will perform a second assessment. If the initial inspection information is unclear, disputes over the assessment may arise.
Finally, prepare all necessary claims documents. These include the liability determination, repair invoices, insurance policy, vehicle registration, driver’s license, etc. Having all these documents ready will save you time during the claims process.