What to expect after car accident? Police inquiry question

[dotx]

I was involved in a pretty major car accident yesterday. I was crossing an intersection and a huge truck carrying sand hit me right on the driver's door. The truck was driving very fast and it sent my car into a huge spin and into a side road. I'm ok except for a case of whiplash and some cuts and (lots of) cruises. I can't say the same for my car.

The insurance people came over and took over the car issue (and dealt with the other driver). Everybody had to go to the police station (including the other driver, the insurance people, me). After some paperwork, the police kept both our driver licenses and told me they would conduct an inquiry that would take 1-2 weeks.

I'm a little freaked out by the fact they kept my driver's license and I'm wondering what happens next. Is this basically just paperwork and I should be getting my license back after they're done?

[mogandave]

Without knowing who was at fault it is difficult to say what the outcome might be.

That said, if your insurance and registration are in order and you have money to pay any fines, you should be okay.

That they kept your license is not significant.

[dotx]

Without knowing who was at fault it is difficult to say what the outcome might be.

That said, if your insurance and registration are in order and you have money to pay any fines, you should be okay.

That they kept your license is not significant.

Well, it was definitively his fault, but I'm not sure what they'll determine, since I don't speak Thai and I wasn't able to give my side of the story at the police station yesterday. He might have said something completely different and made it sound like it was my fault somehow. This is Thailand, after all.

My insurance is fine. Shouldn't they pay everything, even if it's determined it was my fault? What kind of fines could there be?

The license part had me more worried, I guess.

[kartman]

When you get another vehicle don't forget that new extra a dash cam they are multi language.

[dotx]

When you get another vehicle don't forget that new extra a dash cam they are multi language.

I have no idea what this means.

[joepattaya1961]

Well, what you should do (I guess), is go to a hospital for a check-up.

A (possible) whiplash may pop-up later and can destroy your life and financials.

[mogandave]

Without knowing who was at fault it is difficult to say what the outcome might be.

That said, if your insurance and registration are in order and you have money to pay any fines, you should be okay.

That they kept your license is not significant.

Well, it was definitively his fault...

It allways is....

Just kidding. You should be okay legaly.

Getting a checkup is not a bad idea.

[dotx]

Without knowing who was at fault it is difficult to say what the outcome might be.

That said, if your insurance and registration are in order and you have money to pay any fines, you should be okay.

That they kept your license is not significant.

Well, it was definitively his fault...

It allways is....

Just kidding. You should be okay legaly.

Getting a checkup is not a bad idea.

Thanks. I'm really sore this morning but doesn't seem to be any major damage. I need to go talk to my insurance today to see what happens with my car.

And I just got a call from the police station that I can go pick up my driver's license today. I'm not sure why they kept it for less than 24 hours, but it doesn't matter. I'm just happy I'm getting it back.

[richard_smith237]

Having been in an accident whereby I refused to accept 100% of the blame (really IMO it was 100% the drivers other fault) you should be fine if you don't agree with the out come. Be polite, be logical have someone who can interpret clearly and exactly what you say.

When you present logic and forward a solid argument the police will (should and usually do) recognise your point and deal with you on fare terms.

But also be aware that while this is a big deal for you it is an every day occurrence for them. In most cases if they can't clearly identify blame they go 50:50 in which case you will be required to pay a minor fine (400 baht I think).

If the other driver has no insurance they will simply try and pin the blame on you for no other reason other than its easier. Of course you can object this. You can take any decision they make to a higher authority but its hardly worth doing this as your insurance (If 1st Class) pays everything.

In my case I was in the station for 4 hours after my accident. I refused to accept blame, the other driver kept changing his story to counter my claims. With photo evidence it became clear he was lying and it was him ended up angering the police (he also had no insurance).

Regarding the earlier dash-cam comment: There are a handful of threads involving the discussion of Dash-Cams... A camera that sits on your car dash or attaches to the window and records on a loop. In the event of an accident you have proof.

[OMGImInPattaya]

Without knowing who was at fault it is difficult to say what the outcome might be.

That said, if your insurance and registration are in order and you have money to pay any fines, you should be okay.

That they kept your license is not significant.

Well, it was definitively his fault, but I'm not sure what they'll determine, since I don't speak Thai and I wasn't able to give my side of the story at the police station yesterday. He might have said something completely different and made it sound like it was my fault somehow. This is Thailand, after all.

My insurance is fine. Shouldn't they pay everything, even if it's determined it was my fault? What kind of fines could there be?

The license part had me more worried, I guess.

Do all you communication through your insurance adjuster. He is the only one there to represent your interests. Also, don't sign anything unless its been translated into a language you understand.

[OMGImInPattaya]

Without knowing who was at fault it is difficult to say what the outcome might be.

That said, if your insurance and registration are in order and you have money to pay any fines, you should be okay.

That they kept your license is not significant.

Well, it was definitively his fault...

It allways is....

Just kidding. You should be okay legaly.

Getting a checkup is not a bad idea.

Thanks. I'm really sore this morning but doesn't seem to be any major damage. I need to go talk to my insurance today to see what happens with my car.

And I just got a call from the police station that I can go pick up my driver's license today. I'm not sure why they kept it for less than 24 hours, but it doesn't matter. I'm just happy I'm getting it back.

What's this hang up about your license? You can still drive a vehicle (not your of course until its repaired). Most Thais drive without them in any case.

[guzzi850m2]

A dash cam would have been handy here even if OP was T-boned.

It record that you are driving over the intersection for green light upon impact and nobody can argue with that.

[dotx]

It's not the license I care about. I thought that keeping my license meant there was some sort of major issue I wasn't aware of. I didn't realize it was just a routine thing.

The other driver has insurance because both his and my insurance guy showed up at the police station yesterday. They did all the talking. I didn't realize this yesterday, but it looks like the truck driver hit me and sent me into a spin, and then he went into the sidewalk and hit somebody who was standing there. That guy is in the hospital. He's not dying but I don't know how hurt he is.

My third-party insurance is pretty good, but I still don't want to be found responsible for something that wasn't my fault -- especially if there are injuries involved.

[stevenl]

It's not the license I care about. I thought that keeping my license meant there was some sort of major issue I wasn't aware of. I didn't realize it was just a routine thing.

The other driver has insurance because both his and my insurance guy showed up at the police station yesterday. They did all the talking. I didn't realize this yesterday, but it looks like the truck driver hit me and sent me into a spin, and then he went into the sidewalk and hit somebody who was standing there. That guy is in the hospital. He's not dying but I don't know how hurt he is.

My third-party insurance is pretty good, but I still don't want to be found responsible for something that wasn't my fault -- especially if there are injuries involved.

Keep an eye on things, but let your insurance company handle things. They will not want to pay anything unnecessary.

[culicine]

Definitely get a full checkup. A while back i had a relative roll their car, and a girl on a bike got tangled up in it. She seemed ok, but did not get properly checked - apparently she had internal bleeding that went unnoticed. She died from that. I don't mean to scare you, but it's always best to get properly checked after a major accident - and get your neck checked. I got whiplash once and had recurring problems with it for many years afterwards.

[culicine]

Definitely get a full checkup. A while back i had a relative roll their car, and a girl on a bike got tangled up in it. She seemed ok, but did not get properly checked - apparently she had internal bleeding that went unnoticed. She died from that. I don't mean to scare you, but it's always best to get properly checked after a major accident - and get your neck checked. I got whiplash once and had recurring problems with it for many years afterwards.

[pj123]

Forgive me for being a bit off topic but it sounds like your car did a good job protecting you from a side impact from a fully laden truck. What model is (or should I say was) your car?