Car accident, police report and insurance claim

Many are unaware of how to proceed for police report and insurance claim after they involved in a car accident. I am going to share my story and research outcome, hope these give you some idea on what to do next, and it is actually not difficult, just some time needed. Here is my story:

It was a raining Monday evening, and my car collided into a Toyota Vios's back. How it happened? It is downhill, not so steep, but there was plenty of water flowing on the road, which made it very slippery. I was driving like maybe 40km/h or slower. By the time I noticed the Vios stopped, there was still 10 meters ahead. It could be an easy stop, but not on that day. As soon as I hit the brake, my car was like skiing on ice, no significant decrease in speed, no sound of friction of the tyres and the road, and my steering turned very light! 

I knew I am going to crash him, I just did not know if it will be a severe one. Bang! Vios being bounced few meter ahead. We got down from our cars with umbrellas, and I apologized to him and admitted my mistake, and told him that I'll be responsible. 

**1. Photos need to be taken at scene, both cars, and best with scenery view. Left photo is well snapped.

Vios is a noble man, he did not scold me. I told him that I'll claim my insurance for his car repair, but offered him cash for fixing if the price is affordable, instead of going through all the hassles and processes. He agreed, and went to his workshop. RM1800 for the repair, but it was out of my budget, so he asked what's my budget, I said RM1000. Later, the workshop told him RM1000 can do, but with Taiwan parts. Lastly, he decided to go for insurance, which I very much prefer.

**2. I was trying my luck to cut the repair fee to half, ended up it can be done even at that price. This proved that repairman always mark up the price, here in Malaysia. Regarding whether to use original parts or Taiwan parts, can you tell the difference between them? My friend's brother paid for original parts, not long later another workshop discovered that those were not original parts at all. Anyway, the choice is yours.

Vios lodged a police report that night, and a sergeant took photo of his vehicle. Next morning, I lodged a police report at a different police station. That was not done for me yet... Although report can be lodged everywhere, but I need to meet the same sergeant for photo taking and fine (investigation), so my appointment with him was two days later... If I have gone to the police station with Vios that night, then I would have saved the two days time.

**3. Police report need to be lodged within 24 hours (by either party) for it to be valid to be accepted by the insurance company.

image: police report

Two days later, Thursday night, after making sure that the Sergeant was available, I drove to that police station. It was rather a quick and straight forward process. I explained what happened, admitted that it was my fault and he filled in another form. Accident fine is RM300, I paid a discounted price, as I have friend in the police station, and got a copy of a fine ticket, I think. Later, it was a swift photo taking, and being informed to collect my receipt next week at any police station, and also to go HQ to buy the police report. Note that, I only spent 25 minutes at the police station, cool huh?

image: fine ticket

**4. Two parties must have lodged the report, else insurance claim cannot be proceed. For example, after Vios reported it, but I didn't, he cannot claim the insurance. What he can do is, to complain to the police and police will issue me a summon and 'blacklist me' (??), or he can send me a lawyer letter. So take note, be polite to each other, make sure the report is done both way.

The next evening, I went to the Traffic Police Station HQ. I spent 20 minutes until my turn, and another minute to get it done! It was just RM4. What I wanted to get is the very same police report, reprinted and endorsed...

images: Receipt and Endorsed duplicated police report

Vios called me and asked for copies of my insurance policy and police report, because he need those documents to proceed with his insurance claim. His insurance? Yes. He sent his car to his insurance company panel workshop to repair first, then the workshop will get payment from his insurance company. Later, his insurance company will claim the expenses back from MY insurance company. I will lose NCD, but he will not. By doing this way, he can save up to weeks of time.

**5. Vios can choose to either claim my insurance directly, or claim his insurance first and let both companies settle at back office. If he chooses mine, well, his car might stay untouched for a month or two.

While for my part, after I located the nearest panel, I submitted the required documents below:

1. Car registration card
2. Car owner's IC
3. Driver's IC and license
4. All the original police reports
5. Car insurance policy front page
6. Accident scene photo (optional)

Since my car's damage was not serious, the workshop did not keep my car for adjuster's inspection. They sent my request to the insurance company, and I got my car fixed even before the insurance company approve the budget. I got my car back in 3 days, it is kinda rush during the car collection, so I didn't check properly, every few days, I discovered new flaw.

So, here are little advise before you do the car collection, and sign the acceptance letter. Of course, make sure it looks fine 'generally'. I found the following not being done nicely:

1. One of my head lamp is shaky, after investigation, they missed out a supporting screw.
2. My engine cover doesn't really fit nicely, it leaves a great gap between the cover and the body
3. They replaced a new front bumper, but they did not fix a 'leg' that hold the bumper, leaving the bumper less reliable

A potential crime

Just 3 days ago, I think, I THINK I almost became a victim of a snatcher.

Like usual, I parked my car at an open space car park, where it is located quite a distance away from my office building, opposite the train station. Normally, my girlfriend will come by train after she is off, and we will meet up outside of the train station and then walk to my car.

This evening, while waiting her outside of the train station, I was playing my iPhone. Due to there are a lot of pedestrians, I would always look around for her. Suddenly I noticed that a teenage standing behind me watching me, not much concerned, I continued my game. After a couple of minutes, I noticed that he was even nearer. I was aware because he was making noises with his mobile phone, but still, not much of my business.

After another minute or two, there came my girlfriend! So we headed to the car park right away. Just right after we walked side by side, my instinct told me to look back, and, THERE HE IS again, followed behind me. I was alert now, reacted instantly, stopped and held my girlfriend, and watched him passed us, reluctantly. My girlfriend asked why stop, I just told her to wait because I have no time to explain at that moment. My suspicion proved more valid when he looked back twice, while I was starring at him fiercely. Only after that, I explained to my girlfriend what happened.

Initially, I was thinking that this guy must be expecting me to walk through another route, which I think would be a good place to rob me. After some analysis, I thought otherwise, and I think I knew 'why me' and what he was planning. He is an potential snatcher, not robber. He was attracted by my iPhone first, and by my jeans I was wearing (so I can't run fast), and also by the laptop I was carrying on my back (make me a slowmo-dumbass if I run). In another word, I did look like an easy target!

Ahaa! And another to add on, ironically, a policewoman was standing within 5 meters away the scene.

Camouflage

My girlfriend's colleague made a complaint to the management after she saw a security guard using girl toilet, standing, without shutting the door. She was alone during that time.

Realizing the seriousness, she reported to her Head of Department right away, and was escalated to the person in charge soon after. What I know later is, the security guard was being summoned and questioned, sat on a bench innocently, waiting. My girlfriend saw this and told me. From how she described, she felt sorry for him, thinking that he must have made such mistake unintentionally (although he is not new to the company). A few others thought the same.

Some questioned, are the witness and management overreacting? This could be non-issue, everyone make mistakes. He might be just having some mind dilemma at that time, that's why he got the wrong chamber. He doesn't deserve that. 

Me however, think that the witness has made a right move. I don't take excuse as 'mistake girl toilet as men toilet when you work there', it just doesn't make sense to me. I can never walk into girl toilet at my workplace, it just feels not right, or will you? That's why, something came across my mind: He was planning a crime! Let me explain why.

First thing, as I mentioned earlier, I do not believe that he can mistake girl toilet as men toilet when he is working there. Okay, by any chance I am wrong, still, warning and punishment should be conducted to warn him, and others.

Secondly, he did not shut the door, this looks odd to me. I know some people do that but rare. Men who tend to pee into toilet bowl will lock their door, or at least shut most of it. If he doesn't shut it at all, means this man uses urine bowl frequently, which he prefer, then he might notice the absence of urine bowl which eventually relates to 'wrong place' for him. So, this is what I think: This security guard prefers a urine bowl, and he knew he was in a girl toilet!

Lastly, if this incident has not been reported and if the security guard truly is planning crimes, he will definitely make more attempt, until someone is sex harassed or raped, and he will be caught of course, so what? Damage has been done... Compare with the warning and questioning, why pity?

Don't give your rotten apple to others

There is one saying in Chinese: 己所不欲，勿施於人

It means, if you do not want it, do not give it to others. This idiom has influenced me a lot in my decision making.

Every morning, I need to spend an hour driving to my work place (27km), and believe me, it is a terrible journey... Not to mention endless cars, those drivers are like they need to rush to the hospital to witness their firstborn delivery! Left and right, and then left again... Well, congrats, He just made it 100 meters ahead of me in 20 minutes time!

Okay, that's not my main point. During the drive, I'll need to squeeze into the primary lane from side lane. In this case, suppose the cars at the primary lane should give way to cars from side lane in round robin order, however, some people just don't. I am just thinking, when it is their turn to squeeze into the line, how would they actually think?

'That's my right, round robin rule' or 'Strongs stay up, Weaks go down' or... I don't know.

I felt grateful whenever after I signaled to get into the primary lane, and that guy/lady actually kept a distance for me to make in, it brightened my day. In return, I always did the same, following the rule, keeping a distance so that he/she does not have to be that tense. I do not like people to squeeze me out, so I never do the same. Seeing people waving their gratitude just made my world less rotten.

I am not a schemer

Last week, I re-watched my favorite movie of all time - 'The Dark Knight'. In fact, that will be my 4th or 5th time watching it, but I still enjoyed it.

After Harvey Dent was injured in the explosion, losing half of his face, The Joker visited him and tried to corrupt him. At the encounter, The Joker told Harvey that all these were not his fault, he didn't plan all that, he didn't have plan, he was not a schemer, he just DO! His action can be described as a dog chasing a car, he didn't know what to do with it when he caught it.

Indeed, when a dog chases a car, it has a goal, but without a purpose. It chases for the sake of chasing, or by its instinct. Simple thing, but it struck me hard to the bottom of my heart -- Am I like the dog? If someone ask me about my goal, I would say it is wealth. But what do I do after I got it? I can't answer now still at 38.

So, I need to keep on asking myself, "Am I the dog chasing the car?"

The job offer

My girlfriend is an instructor in finance sector. Working in a decent size company, I can see that she is quite satisfied with her current, as she has a lot of nice friends there, got the chance to work as emcee for big company event, being pampered by her manager and so on. Generally, she gets the recognition from the company and people, so, it is less likely that she will go for another new job, especially when she only joined one year back.

Last month, a company called her for an interview. At first, she wanted to reject the interview, but after discussing with me, she had decided to go for a walk there.

“It is never a harm to go for a look. Even you are not going to join, but I think it is good for you to go there, see what your market price is, and most importantly let them assess you. I believe that you definitely will feel great and gain more self-confidence if you get a good mark from them.”

She went, and went again a week later for second interview, she is wanted. The only concern at that time is the annual bonus payout for her current company will be four months later. It will be such a lost if she joins the new company right away. So I told her, unless the new company is willing to pay extra 2 months of salary (as compensation of the annual bonus), don’t take it.

“I would really love to take up the offer, but Anne (to take the talk to a personal level), I must be honest with you, that annual bonus that I am getting is crucial for me, as I have huge commitment every month, it will be like my ‘only saving’ of the year… If you are me, what will you do?”

She told the HR, spoke the deal. The HR told her that there is never a policy as compensating annual bonus in the company, which I agreed, but I know it doesn’t mean impossible, this kind of thing can be adjusted, can be justified. Moreover, we are not talking about tens or hundreds of thousands. I wanted my girlfriend to bring the conversation down to personal level because people tend to be on firm ground when they represent the company, however, if you are able to make them to visualize your stance as an individual, they might just move away a bit and make way for you!

My expectation proven right, when the new company called my girlfriend yesterday, saying that they are willing to pay the compensation!

I do not hope that my sharing will ruin your wonderful job opportunity. My girlfriend’s case comes with two conditions: (i) I know the hiring manager needs her very much; (ii) She was prepared to lose the offer.