The Power of Protection 2 - Part 2 of 2

Earlier I was sharing about the story of my recent car accident which happened on 20 Mar 09. The whole episode had some lessons to learn from for me.

So what are some of the lessons I'd learnt? Before that, let me re-cap some facts I'd observed (including facts that was NOT mentioned in Part 1 of this blog entry):

1.  My first reaction after the accident was to check the well being of the motorist and his pillon.

2.  I took down the particulars of the opposite party immediately. The motorist didn't even request to see my NRIC card or get my contact information.

3.  The motorist is from Malaysia. His bike is Malaysia-registered. His insurance is bought in Malaysia.

4.  I did a quick estimate on the repair cost based on the extent of the damage I could see. I am very sure that I am able to settle the repair cost even at my own expense.

5.  I was much calmer than the motorist and the pillon after the accident had happened. Most of the time, I was in control of the communications.

6.  No photo was taken on the damages.

7.  I accepted the option of private settlement after the motorist agreed to fork out CASH IMMEDIATELY for the full repair of my car. Case is closed only when I received the CASH.

8.  I gave a discount to the motorist, after he handed over the compensation cash to me, by returning some notes back to him. And I told him to see a doctor with the cash returned to him.

9.  When the group of motorists left the workshop, i had a discussion with my mechanic. We agreed on minimal repair to my car as long as the repaired area looks pretty much the same as before. Less the cost of repair, i still get to pocket some cash from the compensation to offset my alternate mode of transportation during the repair period.

Findings

On reflection, below are some of the attributing factors that I think influenced the facts I'd highlighted above:

1.  I was glad that my first reaction was to check the well being of the motorist!! 10 years ago, i bet you to the last dollar that I will check the damages on my car first. (Basic human instinct??) At least, i know i have evolve as a person and not wasted 10 years of rice i'd eaten.

2.  I had a prior car accident in that vicinity not long ago, in Feb 09, just before Chinese New Year. (Believe it or not, that area is really very accident prone due to several terrain constrictions). Due to that incident, i had became more aware of the accident reporting and insurance claim procedures. My car insurance covered 100% of repair without any excess (with a insurance policy rider of course). With more knowledge, i am able to handle negiotions in a calm and compose manner (without showing much of my own inner shock) despite me against 6 others. (But if they choose to pick up a fight, i don't think there isn't any winning probability for me)

3.  I monitor and review my net worth and cash flow on a bi-weekly basis. Thus i am more aware of my financial situation. With that knowledge, i know where i stand financially to handle the negiotiation.

4.  I had just completed a 3-days course on effective communication @ NIE. I must really thank my lecturer, Associate Prof Teo-Koh Sock Miang, for her guidance!!! She did a great job by training me well. That skill allowed me to manage the negiotiation very well.

5.  The fact that the motorist crashed into my rear shows that he was tail-gating me. That's why even when i slowed down my car, he did not have the reaction time to brake and slow down in time to avoid the impact. This fact weaken his negiotiation stand.

6.  Motorists from Malaysia does have complication to their insurance claim if their insurance coverage is not worldwide, or at least must cover Singapore other than their host country (in his context). This put the motorist at a weaker end of the negiotiation.

7.  Due to my job nature, i am not allowed to carry a camera phone to my work place. Thus the most convenient method is to use a non-camera mbile phone. It is not common for most of us to carry a camera around. This is why i am unable to take any photo on-site.

8.  Earlier facts finding with the motorist revealed that he is just a worker at a nearby factory, and his income doesn't seems to be high. I guess this is why they are so worked up on the compensation part. This also triggered the compassion component in me that the motorist has to go through this ordeal.

Lessons Learnt

1.  We have to know the procedures for car accident well (in this context) in order to react appropriately and calmly in similar situations. Save your insurance company reporting telephone number in your mobile phone.

2.  We have to know our own insurance coverage very well so that we know what resources we will have or will be getting to absorb or offset any financial challenges ahead.

3.  Never undermine the Power of Emergency Cash. Rainy days do come once in a while.

4.  In such a situation, as long as there is no death or serious injury, it is possible for the issue to be resolved in a calm and peaceful manner. The rest are very much dependant on the negiotiation skills level of the people involved.

5.  The motorist was pretty astonished when I returned a few notes to him and ask him to see a doctor. I am glad that I did that gesture though i am not sure if he will appreciate it. Given the same situation, i will do it again. This is the best Win-Win situation i can think of at that point in time (and now too).

6.  On hindsight, i should not have opted for private settlement. What if the motorist, after a day of rest, thought of new excuses to bite me back?!?!? Although the motorist and his colleagues do not have any of my particulars (they didnt bother to copy down any), I am not sure if they can remember my car plate number. But i am sure they know where is the workshop i frequent now. [Side story: I had another highway car accident few years back where a black car rush into the left of my car and the driver was full of alcohol smell. The driver pleaded for private settlement (with all sort of "reasons" you can ever think of) and my heart soften for an agreement. One day later, he called and requested for insurance claim instead quoting that the repair was too high for him to absorb!! How clever he was... no more alcohol smell even if i want to make police report!!] I can only pray that history doesn't repeat itself and make me lose faith in our mankind's integrity.

7.  Due to a recent shift in my documentations to another location, i am having difficulties finding my insurance documents currently!! So keep your document safe for subsequent reference.

8.  Keep a disposible camera in your car. You really never know when you will need it!

Follow Ups

What I plan to follow up after this incident:

1.  Dig out and arrange my insurance documentations.

2.  Read my car insurance papers again, especially the small prints, and pay special attention to the country coverage.

3.  Buy a disposible camera and put in my car.

Do you have any accident story that you will like to share with me? Or any lesson learnt in similar incidents? I will be glad to hear from you. Do drop your sharing in the comments boxes below.

Till then, riders and drivers, take care. Good night.

Cheers!

Leroy

"When I Stop Learning, I Stop Living."

The Power of Protection 2 - Part 1 of 2

I had a car accident yesterday. It's quite lucky that there was no death. However, my car was injured. But the worst part was, the motorist that ramped into my car's rear wasn't so good. A few lessons to be learnt from my experience here.

The incident further reinforced my belief in the Power for Protection and the need for insurance coverage. Read on...

Background To The Incident

I was on my way to perform the routine servicing on my car @ Kranji Industrial Estate. Just before the turn into the estate, I slowed down my vehicle gradually and signalled for a impending right turn. As the turn had to cut through an on-coming lane, and there were vehicles driving from the opposite direction, i braked my car to a stop. That's when I heard a super loud thud from the rear of my vehicle. It's so loud that I know it's right behind me.

I put on the hazard lights and went down to take a look. A motorist, his pillon and their bike was down on the road. My first instinct was to ask the motorist, "Are you ok?!" He seemed flustered, in pain and lost. His pillon was in shock. The motorist attempted to pull his bike up but was not able to. Pretty soon, two more bikes parked nearby and join the site. They were four of their working colleagues.

I asked the motorist again, "Are you ok?". He didnt want to answer me and i can understand that. By now his colleagues had crowded around us. I advised them to help the motorist and his bike to the road shoulder by the side since the motorist is able to walk. I took the time to drive my car to one side to avoid jamming up the traffic.

After my car was parked by the side, i went to check on the motorist. By now, he is more composed, and was checking on his own injury. I am glad I see no blood on him, but a slight brushed skin on his left ankle area. I think he was hurt at his left leg.

Sigh of relief from me when i saw that the pillon was fine and the motorist suffered only slight injury. His bike seems pretty fine too, except for the left mirror. With much relief, i went to check my car.

"Wow!" I thought to myself. That's quite a dent there that they have did to the right rear of my car. I am glad that they are fine despite the crash onto my vehicle. But an economical sense knocked into my head suddenly, "This is going to cause me a few hundred dollars of repair..."

I walked over to the motorist and ask, "What happened back there? How did you crash into my rear?"

The motorist wasn't really ready to speak to me, and seems to be still in a slight mode of shock. The pillon replied on his behalf, "You signalled and turn right almost immediately. We had no chance to brake in time!"

One of their colleagues add on, "How can you signal and turn right immediately?"

A few more mouths added on with their own comments like, "How much are you going to compensate?!"

I was not sure how many of the motorist's colleagues actually SAW the incident with their own eyes. What i knew was, i was surrounded by 6 men from the same working place. Where does that place me to start the negiotiation with? Can there be a dialogue?

I am glad that my organisation trained me well. I listened to what they had to say to me. When it was my turn to say my piece, i asked them, in a well composed manner (but actually i was also in shock!! OH....), "Let's not debate the right and wrong here. I will give you my NRIC Card and you (the motorist) you give me yours. We will exchange our particulars and contact information. As for the rest, we shall leave it to our insurance companies to resolve."

Now, i began to see hesitation from their faces.

One of his colleagues asked, "Doesn't that mean that we have to make police report?"

I replied in a calm and affirmative tone, "Since there was no series injuries involved in the accident, there is no requirement to make a police report. But if you like, we can call the police to come on site and make that report. I can make that call if you want."

I saw more hesitation expressions from their faces now.

Another of the motorist colleague asked, "Since there is no need to make police report, why not we settle it privately? Between us and you. No need to involve police or the insurance. You pay us the repair of the bike and the medical fees and we call it quit here."

"Now we are talking", I thought to myself. :-P

I responded, "I see that you are not ready to admit at fault and neither do I. I only know the fact that you crashed into my rear despite my slowing down and signalling. So the best option is to leave the discussion to our insurance companies."

Then another of their colleague mentioned, "Our bikes are registered in Malaysia, and our insurance company is in Malaysia. Very difficult to do claim. Why not you just pay him (the motorist) the money and we call it quit right now?"

I responded firmly, "I don't see how I am at fault. So I am not ready to pay any form of compensation to him (the motorist). I am not even sure how much will the repair on my car be looking at that extend of the dent. My mechanic's workshop is just at the industrial estate, 150 metres from here. We can exchange particulars and contact number now. I will drive over to my mechanic and ask him to quote the repair cost and we can negiotiate from there."

Strangely, I sense that they themselves seems to be getting very unsure of what they want now. And this was confirmed by a request from one of the motorist's colleagues, "Insurance is very troublesome for us. Why not we share the repair cost. He (the motorist) has to repair his bike too."

The motorist begain to talk (finally!), "Ya, we share the cost. If not, what I earn this month all pay to you already."

Looking at the way the motorist demand, i feel further sigh of relief. He is fine already!!

"Since we all don't know how much is the repair, let me ask my mechanic for a quote and we can discuss further from there. But I am not prepared to pay a single cent on this incident. Any payment will come my insurance company." I replied even more firmly now.

The pillon added on,"So if we pay the full repair cost, no need to involve police, no insurance company?"

I replied him, "We can discuss further on that option."

The pillon suggested that they follow me to my workshop and we get the quotation for the repair. I agreed.

Before i turn around and walked to my car, I advised the motorist, "Are you fine to ride? If you cannot ride, just push your bike into the industrial estate. The workshop is very near."

When I drove off to the workshop, I saw three bikes following behind me. And the motorist was riding again...

[End of Part 1]

Lessons learnt by me coming up in Part 2 of this sharing. Stay tuned to this space....

Warmest regards,

Leroy Ang

"When I Stop Learning, I Stop Living."

Reflections - A new blog feel

It's been almost 2 years since I'd started blogging. With a good long break this period, I'd thought of doing reflections for all my actions in motion, including the sharing of my learnings on this blog. So I thought of adding some new features to give my blog more life. The new feel of my blog can be referenced @ www.leroyang.blogspot.com.


So What's New?

1. Followers of LA's Blog. I'd added a new feature for readers whom wish to follow up on what I am sharing. By subscribing to this feature, you will be able to follow my sharings automatically on your own blog dashboard.

2. 1-Year Charts of NYMEX Crude, Gold and Coal. With courtesy from EnergySTOX.Com, I'd added three yearly charts of Crude, Gold and Coal to my blog for easier reference.

3. Replacement of my Avatar. I thought it's time to reveal my real face to readers, thus I had my Avatar (which i like very much) replaced with a photo I'd taken in Dec 2007. Many of my friends and blog readers told me that I should not hide my handsome face behind a picture. I thought this sharing was funny so I'd posted my photo here to give ever reader a good laugh. :-P

4. About me. I'd updated my structured academic learnings. The latest being the completion of a Diploma in Financial Management, and two modules of the Certified Financial Planners (CFP) programme, all did on part-time basis. I have subscribed to the Module 4 (M4) of the CFP study programme which will commence in Jan 09.

5. New Blog List. I'd added a new feature to show blogs that I personnally am following. These blogs offers interesting views which I like to grab a glance on and I am recommending the blogs to my readers here. Other bloggers whom wish to exchange blog links may write to me for considerations too. :-)

6. Learning Resources. Some of the valuable online resources will be updated here for sharing.


Last but not least, what are some of the areas which you think I may improve on this blog to benefit readers better? Do share with me by leaving your comments.


Merry Christmas and cheers! :-D

Leroy

"When I Stop Learning, I Stop Living."

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