It is imporant to document an accident in detail and in a consistent and defined manner. Relying on someones recall hours after the accident will not lead to the best outcome.

To start the process a company needs a procedure which standardizes accident management based on severity, which is provided to managers and drivers at on-board training and annual training. There is more to an accident than putting our red triangles. Legal, Risk, HR Dispatch, and Operations personnel should be involved in creating a procedure that is practical but sufficient to mitigate losses. If it is too complex or long, it not likely to be executed. Forms and checklists offer a method for providing consistency and accuracy not found in verbal communication. 

The severity of the accident is a key variable in the response. A fatal, hazmat, or significant injury accident requires a different response than a single vehicle backing accident. Managers and drivers must be able to quickly analyze the nature of the situation and be able to access the appropriate policy for implementation. 

The cost of an accident has shown to be more expensive the slower the response by the company and the longer the delay getting information to legal counsel. Utilizing a tool such as the Fleetistics CrewChief mobile app to collect information in the field can provide immediate digital notification and standarized documentation. The addition of the Fleetistics CrewChief dashcam video can aid counsel in forming a strategy to mitigate losses. 

Top 5 Accident Response 

1. Pictures - Take lots of pictures. Detailed and zoom out. See checklist here. 
2. Statements - do not give a statement to policy, other drivers, or witnesses. 
3. Avoid all social media
4. Citation - look for a citation mailed and handle it responsibly
5. Get a copy and review for accuracy

CrewChief Mobile App

The CrewChief mobile app utilizes vehicle and driver information from MyFleetistics and enabled GPS tracking services such as Geotab but a GPS tracking service is not required. All customers are eligible for a free 30-day trial which can be enabled in your MyFleetistics>Account>Services menu. The Accident Report module can be utilized in conjunction with the CrewChief Lone Worker and Priority Event (SOS type service) alerting system. Android    iOS/Apple

Customers utilizing multiple services receive a discount for the mobile app service. 

Accident Reporting in CrewChief App

Lone Worker Priority Event in CrewChief Mobile App