Accident guide – the right thing to do after a car accident

adminonFebruary 21, 2022February 11, 2022Leave a Comment

A car accident is bad enough. There are a few things to keep in mind so that nothing else happens.

Accident guide - correct behavior after a car accident

Minor car accidents with sheet metal damage happen quickly in rush-hour traffic. Once you don’t stop in time or don’t look properly when taking evasive action – you’re in for a crash. Although no one is usually injured in such accidents. However, sheet metal damage to the car can quickly become expensive. Careful documentation of the accident is a prerequisite for compensation from the vehicle insurance company. What to do after a car accident, you can find out here.

Guide to accidents abroad

Car accidents abroad are always a particular nuisance. Because language barriers and bureaucratic hurdles hinder the handling of accidents. Here we explain what to do after a car accident abroad and which contact points can help you in the event of an accident abroad.

Guide to accidents on the highway

On the freeway the speed limits are high. If a car accident occurs, there are life-threatening risks for those involved and for the following traffic. Here you can find out how to behave correctly after a car accident.

Guide to wild accidents

Deer accidents are not uncommon in germany. They can have devastating consequences for humans and animals. We provide information on how to avoid accidents involving wild animals, which rules of conduct to observe and which damages are covered by comprehensive insurance.

Secure the scene of the accident

To avoid secondary accidents, securing the scene of the accident is a top priority. Draw the attention of other road users to the scene of the accident by using the warning lights switch on and on warning triangle set up. In urban areas, a distance of at least 50 meters is advisable. On country roads it is advisable to drive about 100 meters and on highways about. 150 to 400 meters.

Position the warning triangle so that it is clearly visible, even in places that are difficult to see, e.g. in the middle of the road. B. Before curves and crests. The triangle should always be placed at the side of the road or at the. Standing at the edge of the emergency lane. If you fail to secure the scene of the accident, resulting in secondary accidents, you could face a warning fine. If people are injured, you are guilty of negligent physical injury.

For their own safety, all parties involved in an accident should have a warning vest wear. because this makes them more conspicuous to the following traffic. By the way: since 01.07.in 2014 it is compulsory by law to have a warning vest in the car. If you do not have a warning vest with you, you may be fined.

In the event of accidents involving personal injury: provide first aid

Even in the case of accidents that seem harmless at first glance, you should clarify whether people have been injured. If so, you must provide first aid. This is a legal requirement in germany. Failure to render assistance counts as a criminal offense under §323 c stgb and can lead to a fine and even imprisonment. Don’t worry: first responders don’t have to fear being held liable for possible errors or consequential damages.

First aid already includes calling the emergency number (112). It is also necessary to carry out first aid measures independently.

When must the police be notified??

If you are injured in a traffic accident or if there is a lot of damage to property, you must notify the police. By the way, even if

The other party in the hit and run accident.
The other party gives the impression of being under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
The parties to the accident cannot agree.
A foreign vehicle cannot provide proof of insurance.
you cause an accident with a rental car.
you damage a vehicle while parking and the owner cannot be found. Attention: if you do not notify the police in this case, you will be committing a hit-and-run offence.

The situation is different in the case of more harmless accidents, so-called minor accidents. It is not absolutely necessary to call the police. The material damage caused is usually just scratches or scuffs in the car’s sheet metal. The police are not obliged to record the damage in such cases. It is therefore all the more important that you document the damage yourself. Only then will you be able to claim damages from the insurance company at a later date.

How to document the car accident correctly

For a complete documentation of the car accident, meaningful photos are required. On the other hand, a completed accident report required. In the case of major accidents involving property damage and personal injury, the police also take witness statements.

Photograph the scene of the accident

Important: be sure to take your own photos of the accident scene. Because the other party to the accident is not obliged to provide you with his photos. Photographs taken with a smartphone are sufficient. If you do not have a cell phone with a suitable camera, you should always have a small digital camera in your glove compartment. Make sure to include both the photograph the damage to your own car as well as the damage to the other party’s car. If available, a folding rule helps as a measure of the damage incurred.

Take pictures from the entire accident scene different perspectives. This includes traffic signs as well as photos of brake marks, snow marks, skid marks and glass splinters. In addition, the final position of the vehicles can be decisive for the subsequent reconstruction of the accident.

Writing an accident report

The accident report is an important piece of evidence in clarifying the circumstances of the accident. It serves to reconstruct the sequence of the car accident. Even if the other party does not want to make an accident report, you should not do without it. The report serves as the basis for settling claims after the accident. Especially if the police were not notified.

These data must not be missing from an accident report:

Names and addresses of all parties involved
Place, date and time of the accident
Data on the vehicles involved in the accident
Description of the accident
Indication of visible damage
Sketch of the accident site
Insurance data of the parties involved
names and addresses of witnesses
Signatures of the parties involved in the accident

After a car accident, the parties involved are required by law to provide their exchange personal data. Anyone who leaves the scene of an accident without giving their personal details is guilty of a hit-and-run offence. The same applies if he gives false information. In the event of unauthorized departure from the scene of the accident, a call to the central call of car insurers by calling the telephone number 0800 25 026 00. If you have noted down the license plate number of the other party involved in the accident, you will be able to determine their liability insurance.

By the way: the signatures on the accident report only confirm that the data given are correct. They are not an admission of guilt. Until the accident has been fully reconstructed, you should not make an admission of guilt at the scene of the accident, either to the police or to the other party involved in the accident.

each party to the accident receives a signed copy of the accident report. Together with the photos, you can submit the report to your insurance company so that they can settle the claim. A complete and comprehensible report is important for the insurer. Subjective assessments or assumptions about the question of fault do not belong in an accident report.

As soon as the accident has been fully documented, you should immediately report it to your insurance company. This also applies if only minor damage has been caused.

When you should clear the scene of an accident

At minor damage you should clear the scene of the accident quickly. It is best to do this as soon as the accident sequence has been documented and the personal details have been exchanged. those who delay following traffic unnecessarily risk a fine. If there has been a lot of damage to property or people, you should not change the accident site until the police are on the scene.

Conclusion:

The most important steps after a car accident are:

Secure the scene of the accident
Determination of personal injury
Detailed documentation of the accident

The latter is a prerequisite for receiving compensation from the vehicle insurance company. In the case of minor accidents, it is usually not necessary to notify the police.

If you want to acquire another car, this is with high cost connected. Most people therefore resort to a car financing back. But there is also the possibility to buy or rent a car take over, which is already financed by the previous owner. However, there are a few things to keep in mind so you don’t overpay.

It is not always easy to find the right car for you. Often dream car associated with high costs, which then usually still have to be financed or leased. Away from the complete funding there is also the possibility that an already existing contract is taken over – provided the right contractual partner is found here. The contractual partner must subsequently agree to all further steps so that such a contract overwritten may be.

Everything must be set out in writing

If you want to buy a car already financed, this must first be done with the responsible bank or the car dealership, through which the financing will be arranged. Only if a written confirmation of the bank is present, one should get involved in the purchase. This consent in professional circles also referred to as release and can usually be very uncomplicated may be obtained, provided that all parties are in agreement. In this write the bank – the release – should state exactly how much is left to pay. Often, a higher final installment is due, which is residual value and the still to be paid monthly amounts is composed.

An info-video about all the documents needed for a car registration

Was the release issued, the contract be transferred to the new buyer. After the settle the remaining sum he should then also be considered the owner of the vehicle. The vehicle title must therefore be sent to the new buyer by the bank after payment. With many offers this holds the vehicle registration document to the end.

After signing the contract, the buyer has two options to secure his dream car for the long term.

The payment of the installments

In this case, the new buyer takes over the normal monthly rates, previously agreed with the old buyer. New negotiations usually can not be done here, so the new buyer should agree with the monthly rates.

The payment of the total sum

In this case, the buyer waives the payment of the monthly installments and directly repays the entire outstanding sum. Thus no further interest accrues and the vehicle title goes directly into the hands of the new owner.

As a matter of principle, it should be carefully weighed up what kind of step is made. If the necessary money is already in possession, the pay the total sum in any case preferable!

Accurate review of the offer

Before one financing of a cars if you take over, you should check the offer carefully. It may be that the car is no longer worth as much as the to settling total.

a detailed personal inspection of the car and possible flaws is also essential if you do not want to pay too much. If the financing sum more than the actual value of the car, you can discuss with the previous owner the agreement meet, that he difference amount paid. However, even this must necessarily in writing held and this is only in the rarest cases pulled through by the previous owner. Most of the time, the previous owner wants to get rid of his vehicle as quickly and easily as possible, so that additional payments usually not well received.

Lightweight gears in multi-component design with gear rims made of 18CrNiMo7-6 and different gear body variants; left: sheet-metal-packaged gear body (thermally joined); center: deep-drawn gear body (thermally joined); right: forming-joined gear body - source: FOSTA e.V

Lightweight construction has brought major advances, for example in the bodywork of modern cars. Progress in powertrain and other components is less intensive. Now, however, the nationwide project massive lightweight construction progress thanks to new steel materials and component designs. Six of the ten research institutes involved belong to the WGP.

December 2018 – the biggest current challenges in automotive engineering are reducing fuel consumption and thus CO2 emissions. A key technology here is lightweight construction, which is also very important for electromobility in order to be able to compensate for the high weight of energy storage systems. The successes of materials developments in the 1990s, including all-aluminum bodies and the subsequent competition for modern, high-strength steel bodies, have not yet continued to the same extent for other components of a vehicle, such as the powertrain. The production of such components is strongly divided among different companies and industries. In 2013 (phase I), an initiative of German solid forming companies and steel manufacturers took up this challenge and demonstrated the first significant potential for weight reduction using known materials and processes.

Building on this, the research alliance is focusing on solid lightweight construction – innovation network for technological progress in component, process and material design for solid formed automotive components 10 research institutes throughout germany – six of them WGP institutes – the four research associations FOSTA, AWT, FSV and FVA as well as more than 60 companies (figure 1) of the utilization of entirely new lightweight construction potentials in the powertrain or. Chassis.

Overview of the research network massiverLEICHTBAU with the participating institutes and main topics - source: FOSTA e.V

Overview of the research network for solid lightweight construction with the participating institutes and key topics – source: FOSTA e.V.

The researchers work on an interdisciplinary basis with the specialist areas of design, materials, manufacturing and innovation management involved in the entire supply chain. The results of the research network show how new steel materials, component designs and production methods can be used to make the powertrain of automobiles – from the engine to the transmission to the wheel bearings – even lighter, while at the same time meeting the highest service life expectations. To this end, the entire value chain was analyzed and optimized with regard to lightweight construction potential in a total of six subprojects, ranging from alloy development, heat treatment and multicomponent processes to massive forming and technology transfer. At subproject 1 with the participation of the foundation institut fur werkstofftechnik (IWT) of the university of bremen, the lightweight construction potential of the materials m50nil, C56E2 and 18crnimo7-6 was investigated by increasing their power density using various heat treatment and hardening processes. In subproject 2 the WGP institutes IWT bremen, institut fur umformtechnik (IFU) stuttgart and the Lehrstuhl fur umformtechnik und giebereiwesen (utg) munich, among others, are investigating "built" gears. For this purpose, hardened gear rims were either formed with a wheel body using cold forming or with packaged or. deep-drawn sheet metal wheel bodies thermally joined (see Fig. 2).

Lightweight gears in multicomponent design with 18crnimo7-6 gear rims and different gear body variants; left: sheet-metal-packaged gear body (thermally joined); center: deep-drawn gear body (thermally joined); right: formed gear body – source: FOSTA e.V.

The third subproject Under the leadership of the Institute of Forming Technology (IFU) in stuttgart, the lightweight construction potential was investigated by exploiting local component properties in material modeling, forming and subsequent machining. More information about this project can be found here. Furthermore, the expansion of technological limits on the piston pin, transmission shaft and ring gear components (Fig. 3) was achieved by means of novel process sequences under the leadership of the institute for forming technology and forming machines in hanover in subproject 4 investigated.

Expanding the technological boundaries on the components forged ring gear (left), piston pinion (center) and transmission shaft (right) - Source: FOSTA e.V

Extension of the technological limits on the components forged ring gear (left), piston pin (center) and gear shaft (right) – source: FOSTA e.V.

Finally, to assess the overall lightweighting potential, life cycle calculations were carried out to compare the new technologies, such as the gear variants built in Fig. 4, with previous methods.

Life cycle analysis with regard to global warming potential using the example of a gear wheel – source: FOSTA e.V.

In a project linking all subprojects, a comprehensive scientific analysis of the obstacles to innovation was also carried out for the first time in a comparable large-scale project. This showed that in a process chain with a very strong division of labor, knowledge transfer that could be improved, the still inadequate prioritization of lightweight construction as a corporate strategy, and internal company structures and processes hinder the implementation of lightweight construction innovations in many places.

More information

Contact

Institute for Forming Technology (IFU)
university of stuttgart