WHY IS AN ACCIDENT STATEMENT IMPORTANT?

YOU HAD AN ACCIDENT. WHY IS AN ACCIDENT STATEMENT IMPORTANT?

When you have an accident, your medical documents show how you were treated.

But they may not always explain how the accident happened.

That is why an accident statement can be important for an accident-related insurance claim.

What can an accident statement help clarify?

For example:

• When did the accident happen?
• Where did it happen?
• What happened?
• Was another vehicle involved?
• Were you driving or riding a vehicle?
• What were the circumstances surrounding the injury?

Example

You fall from your motorbike and injure your shoulder.

The hospital record confirms:

Diagnosis: shoulder injury

The medical documents explain the treatment.

But the insurer may also need information about the accident itself to determine whether the circumstances are covered under the policy.

Traffic accidents may require additional documents

Depending on the circumstances, documents such as:

• Driving licence
• Vehicle registration
• Police accident records, if the police were involved

may be required.

There can also be different documentation requirements for occupational accidents or other types of accidents.

The key principle

Medical documents explain the injury.

Accident documents explain the event that caused the injury.

Both can be important when assessing an accident-related claim.

If you have an accident, don’t wait until the claim stage to think about documentation.

Record the circumstances while the information is still fresh.