Vehicle Damage Reports

In this article

• How do You Assess Car Damage?
• Elements of a Good Vehicle Damage Report
• FAQs About Vehicle Damage Reports
• Paperless Vehicle Damage Reporting
• Featured Vehicle Damage Report Templates

How do You Assess Car Damage?

Before you begin to assess car damage for insurance purposes, you have to take care of any pressing medical concerns first and call for medical attention if needed. Once the health and safety concerns are covered, and there is no risk of sustaining further injuries, you can proceed with assessing the car damage and do the following:

• Inform the legal authorities, such as the local police, so you have a legal record of the vehicular accident.
• If the vehicle is a company asset, submit an incident report that includes details surrounding the event and any injuries sustained, as well as other people involved.
• Take photos of any damage to your car and other vehicles that may have been involved in the incident. Photos may include external as well as internal damages to the car.
• Make some notes and be as detailed as possible about what happened because the information will be needed by the insurance company and legal authorities.
• Contact your insurance provider to inform them about the car damage and discuss if there is a need for certain urgent repairs in order to prevent further damage to the vehicle.
• Discussing the car damage with the insurance provider will also give you a better understanding of what to do next as well as be aware of any costs to fix the damage.

Elements of a Good Vehicle Damage Report

Good vehicle damage report heavily relies on the proper performance of the damage assessment. Vehicle damage assessments should be able to capture not only general information about the time, location, vehicle, and parties involved but also focus on factual details of the accident and the extent of the damage. Below are two key elements that a good vehicle damage report should contain:

1. Details of accident
   Should cover all the circumstances and possible contributing factors which caused the accident. Details should be as factual and impartial as possible with opinions supported by evidence or explicitly made clear. Opinions of who caused the accident should be supported with sketches, witness statements, and photo evidence.
2. Extent of damage
   Vehicle damage primarily arises as a result of a collision, weather-impact, and unintended scratches/ dents. It is important to identify all areas of the vehicle that have been damaged and capture sufficient photo evidence of the key damaged areas. It is also important to take photos of the surrounding vehicle and/ or environment involved in the damage.
   A good vehicle damage report underpinned by facts, photo evidence, and witness statements will offer better support for insurance claims as well as good fleet recordkeeping.