Guides
The questions nobody answers.
Written for the week after a crash, when the insurer is slow and the answers are buried in a policy document. No sales pitch, and every claim is sourced.
- 01
What to do after a car accident in Victoria
Stop, check whether anyone is hurt, and move out of traffic if the cars can be moved safely. Exchange names and addresses with the other driver, photograph everything, and do not discuss who was at fault. In Victoria you must report the crash to police if anyone is injured, or if property was damaged and the owner is not there.
- 02
Not at fault? What you are actually entitled to
If another driver caused the damage, the principle is that you should not be left out of pocket. In practice that usually means your car repaired to its pre-accident condition, a replacement car while it is off the road, and no excess to pay. What trips people up is that none of it happens automatically.
- 03
Do you have to use your insurer's repairer?
It depends on your policy. Some Australian policies include choice of repairer, some offer it as a paid option, and some direct you to their own network. Even where you can choose, the insurer can usually still require the quote to meet their standards on price, safety and compliance.
- 04
Who pays for a hire car after an accident?
If someone else caused the crash, their insurer is generally liable for the cost of a replacement car while yours is being repaired, and you should not be paying for it. If you caused it, you get a hire car only if your own policy includes one, and many do not.
- 05
How long do smash repairs actually take?
Nobody can honestly give you a number before the car has been assessed. What determines it is not the size of the dent but the queue in front of it: getting an assessment, getting approval, getting parts, and getting the safety systems recalibrated afterwards.
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