What happens if you are involved in an accident?

After you have been in an accident the chances of it being thoroughly investigated by the SAPS or the Metro Police is very slim. Persons involved in Accidents can wait up to several hours for the SAPS or Metro to attend the scene. If it is a minor accident you can simply report it at the nearest Police Station. When there is a serious accident with injuries they might investigate the scene but usually no evidence is gathered.

Only when there are fatalities they will do a scene investigation where they take photos and do measurements and a docket is registered. The scenes can be very complex and they will just do the basic investigations to finalise the scene so the road way can be re-opened.

There are over 300 different items on an accident scene that must be taken into account and that can be collected as data.

Usually the civil litigation takes several years. I see with investigations that some persons will institute a civil claim several years after the accident occurred. With minor and reasonably serious accidents there is then usually little or no detail or evidence regarding the accident.

With the company investigating all accidents these cases can be contested with facts if cases do occur.

An accident scene is the perfect crime scene all the evidence is there and must just be collected correctly.

What happens when you are a client of the company?

The company will receive a call from the owner of the vehicle or from the Fleet / Risk Manager to attend the scene. If there is a 24 hour control room they can also activate the company to investigate. The investigator will go to the scene where all investigations and gathering of data will take place. Feedback will be given to the owner, Fleet Manager or call centre. The investigation process is explained in the following section.

The investigator will then ensure that the vehicle is being towed by the correct persons and the address to where the vehicle is towed will be confirmed. If there is a need for a driver or persons to be accommodated for the night the company will make arrangements and book accommodation if needed.

In the event where children are involved the investigator will stay with the minor if the parents are for example seriously injured and both are taken to hospital. The investigator will stay with the child until a family member can be identified to take care of the child.

It often happen that one or both parents pass away in an accident. The company can also assist with a qualified psychologist if there is need after a traumatic accident and especially with the death of a loved one.