Những điều bạn cần làm khi gặp tai nạn xe cộ

WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU HAVE A CAR ACCIDENT

You have a legal duty to notify ICBC if a vehicle you own or are driving is involved in an accident that injured someone or damaged property. Even if you are not the owner or driver, you must promptly notify ICBC to preserve your claim to ICBC benefits. There are three steps that you must take:

Notify ICBC of the Accident: call dial-a-claim at 604-520-8222 or 1-800-910-4222. (Ideally within 24 hours of the accident)
Give a statement describing the Accident. (Within 30 days of the accident)
Submit an application for benefits to ICBC (CL22). (Within 90 days of the accident)

Should I consult a lawyer before speaking to ICBC?

Yes, it is always good to consult a lawyer before speaking to ICBC. Everything you say to ICBC is likely being recorded in some manner and can be used to limit or deny your claim. Even if you are entirely in the right, you might omit something or make a mistake, but ICBC will assume that your answers are correct and complete. If there is a dispute over liability, your answers can be used against you. You may also be asked questions about your vehicle usage, to see if you were in breach of your insurance policy. Your answers can be used as admissions to breach your policy. A lawyer can tell you which questions you have to answer and which ones you do not. If you choose to answer questions, you have to answer them truthfully. Once you make a harmful admission, there is little that can be done to fix it.

What information does ICBC want?

When you call ICBC, they will likely ask you:

where and when the crash happened;
licence plate number of each vehicle involved;
driver's licence number of each driver;
insurance information of any vehicles not insured by ICBC;
your explanation of how the accident happened, and whether you accept fault;
details of any injuries you suffered;
police file number (if police attended);
witness information (if you have any).

The next step is to give a written statement. If you provide a statement to ICBC without a lawyer, an ICBC representative will usually ask you a series of questions and then prepare a statement for your signature. However, ICBC is not required to guide you in preparing your statement. If you omit to mention something and it does not go into the statement, it will likely be given less weight when you recall it later on.

Getting Medical Attention

If you need medical attention, or are unsure, you should call an ambulance. The emergency medical technicians can evaluate you to determine if it is safe for you to go home, or if you should go to the hospital for further evaluation. If you only develop symptoms after leaving the scene, you should contact your family doctor or go to an emergency room. Finally, if your symptoms worsen or persist longer than expected, you should consult your family doctor or a walk-in clinic.

Contacting the Police

It is always a good idea to contact the police about an accident. This is especially true if:

A vehicle fled the scene
The accident caused serious damage or injury
There is a dispute about who caused the accident
You have concerns about the other driver or vehicle (e.g. uninsured, impaired)

Getting your vehicle repaired

If your vehicle was damaged, ICBC will usually ask that you bring it in to be examined. Depending on your insurance coverage, ICBC may repair your vehicle or offer to pay you what (in their opinion) was its market value immediately before the accident. They will want you to sign a release, and if you sign it, you are agreeing not to make any future claim regarding your vehicle damage. You may want to consult a lawyer before signing the release.

Hannah Tran

Paralegal

htran@simpsonthomas.com

Direct Line 604.697.3986

Trích dẫn website:

www.simpsonthomas.com

NHỮNG VIỆC CẦN LÀM KHI CÓ TAI NẠN XE CỘ

Bạn có bổn phận pháp lý phải báo cáo cho ICBC nếu chiếc xe bạn làm chủ hoặc bạn lái gặp tai nạn, gây thương tích cho người khác hoặc gây thiệt hại cho xe khác hoặc tài sản người khác. Ngay cả khi bạn không phải là chủ chiếc xe hoặc bạn không lái xe mà chỉ là người ngồi trong xe thì bạn cũng phải thông báo cho ICBC nếu bạn muốn được bồi thường. Có 3 bước bạn phải làm:

1-Thông báo tai nạn cho ICBC. Gọi số 604-520-8222 hoặc 1-800-910-4222 trong vòng 24 giờ sau khi xẩy ra tai nạn.

2-Mô tả chi tiết tai nạn xẩy ra (trong vòng 30 ngày sau khi xẩy ra tai nạn).

3-Điền mẫu đơn CL22 Insurance Claim Application (trong vòng 90 ngày sau khi xẩy ra tai nạn).

Tôi có nên tham khảo luật sư trước khi nói chuyện với ICBC?

Đúng thế, tốt hơn là bạn nên tham vấn luật sư trước khi nói chuyện với ICBC. Những gì bạn nói với ICBC đều được ghi lại cách này hay cách khác và có thể được dùng để giới hạn hoặc từ chối quyền lợi của bạn. Ngay cả khi bạn hoàn toàn không có lỗi trong tai nạn thì bạn có thể sơ sót khai báo điều gì đó, còn ICBC thì coi như bạn đã khai báo chính xác và đầy đủ. Trong trường hợp có tranh cãi về trách nhiệm, những câu trả lời của bạn có thể được dùng để gây bất lợi cho bạn. Bạn cũng có thể bị hỏi về cách xử dụng xe của bạn, xem bạn có xử dụng xe trái với chính sách bảo hiểm hay không. Luật sư sẽ cho bạn biết những câu hỏi gì bạn phải trả lời hoặc không phải trả lời. Một khi bạn trả lời thì phải trả lời trung thực. Khi bạn đã nói ra điều gì bất lợi thì không thể rút lại hoặc thay đổi.

Tin tức gì ICBC cần biết?

Khi bạn gọi cho ICBC, họ sẽ hỏi:

Khi nào, ở đâu tai nạn xẩy ra.
Số xe của bạn và của người lái xe kia.
Số bằng lái xe của bạn và của người lái xe kia.
Nếu xe nào không có bảo hiểm của ICBC (nghĩa là bảo hiểm từ tỉnh khác) thì tin tức chi tiết về bảo hiểm đó.
Bạn mô tả tai nạn xẩy ra thế nào, bạn có lỗi hay không.
Bạn có thương tích gì không.
Nếu cảnh sát đến làm hồ sơ thì số hồ sơ cảnh sát (police file number).
Tên và điện thoại nhân chứng.

Bước tiếp theo là viết lời khai có ký tên. Nếu bạn cung cấp lời khai (statement) cho ICBC mà không có luật sư, nhân viên ICBC thường hỏi bạn một loạt câu hỏi rồi soạn lời khai và đưa bạn ký tên. Tuy nhiên ICBC không bắt buộc phải hướng dẫn bạn soạn lời khai. Nếu bạn khai sơ sót điều gì rồi sau đó yêu cầu khai bổ sung vào tờ khai thì lời khai bổ sung này không có giá trị nhiều.

Trường hợp bị thương tích.

Nếu bạn bị thương tích hoặc chưa rõ có bị gì không, bạn nên gọi xe cứu thương. Nhân viên cứu cấp có thể khám xét xem bạn bình an vô sự hoặc cần vào nhà thương xét nghiệm thêm. Trong trường hợp bạn rời khỏi hiện trường rồi mới phát hiện dấu hiệu thương tổn thì bạn phải đi khám bác sĩ gia đình hoặc phòng cấp cứu bệnh viện nếu bác sĩ gia đình không gặp được. Còn nếu thương tích kéo dài hay trở nặng thì cũng phải đi gặp bác sĩ.

Liên hệ cảnh sát

Liên hệ cảnh sát khi xẩy ra tai nạn luôn luôn là điều tốt, nhất là trong những trường hợp dưới đây:

Xe kia chạy trốn.
Có thương tích nặng hoặc thiệt hại lớn cho xe cộ, tài sản.
Có tranh cãi về lỗi của ai.
Nếu bạn nghi ngờ tài xế kia đang say rượu, say thuốc hoặc lái xe không có bảo hiểm.

Sửa chữa xe bị tai nạn

Nếu xe bạn hư hỏng, ICBC yêu cầu bạn mang xe đến để kiểm tra.

Tùy theo mức độ bảo hiểm xe bạn mua, ICBC hoặc sửa xe của bạn hoặc đền bạn một món tiền tương đương với giá thị trường của chiếc xe trước khi bị tai nạn. Họ sẽ yêu cầu bạn ký một tờ Bãi Kiện (release) nghĩa là bạn đồng ý là xe bạn đã được sửa chữa hoặc bồi thường thỏa đáng, bạn sẽ không còn đòi hỏi gì nữa cho chiếc xe bị hư hỏng. Bạn có thể cần tham vấn luật sư trước khi ký tờ Release này.

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Những điều cần làm khi bạn gặp tai nạn xe cộ