You never know if you are going to be involved in an accident. However, it is important as a business owner to understand the necessary requirements to follow in case a team member and company vehicle is involved in an accident, regardless of who is at fault.
If you are fully aware of your commitments, you will have the ability to respond at a moment’s notice. Having a critical accident procedure to follow enables the right people to attend the scene to make sure that you follow all regulations by the Department of Transportation, DOT, and the FMCSA, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.
It is important to talk to your insurance immediately. They will be able to dispatch field adjustors, investigators and experts who can ensure that they are looking after your best interests. Also make sure you have an attorney that will be working for your best interests.
The most important thing you should do is to appoint a supervisor. If possible dispatch this person to the scene immediately. They should be able to work with the different agencies who will be at the scene to ensure the driver gets to a DOT approved drug and alcohol testing facility in the required period. If it is not possible because of the location of the accident, try to set up a remote supervisor position and they are directly responsible for liaising with the agencies involved.
Knowing in advance what you need to do is important. It gives you the best possible start to settle an accident. If the accident isn’t too bad, it is easier to scale back an operation rather than trying to work after the fact and try to catch up.
It is important that you have a critical accident procedure in place and everyone knows his or her part in the plan, before you ever need to put the process into practice.
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