What To Do If Your Hired Chauffer Gets Into An Accident During The Move

1. Things To Do If Your Hired Chauffer Gets Into An Accident During The Move
2. Call the moving company
3. Document the accident
4. Call your insurance company
5. Find an alternative moving truck
6. Establish liability

Things To Do If Your Hired Chauffer Gets Into An Accident During The Move

Self-moving is by far the cheapest way to move either across town or to another state. Apart from saving a lot of money compared to hiring a full-service mover, you also get to control how your items get packed into the truck. Though self-moving means that you get independence from movers, you can still hire or ask for a chauffeur to help you drive the truck to your new home.

In the unfortunate event that an accident happens when the chauffer is driving, what should you as the client do? Here is a look at the steps you should take:

Call the moving company

Unless there are some injuries that need emergency services, your first call should be to the moving company that owns the truck. They will want to know that their truck has been involved in an accident so they can take the necessary measures.

Document the accident

Chances are that you will need your insurance company to step in in case of any damage to the items or injuries. Since insurance claims can get pretty complicated, you should start by taking pictures of the accident and taking an account of what happened for evidence purposes.

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Call your insurance company

Whether there has been any injury or damage, you must contact your insurance company within 24 hours of having an accident. If possible, they will send someone to come and take a look at the accident or at least accompany you to the police.

Find an alternative moving truck

Even if the truck carrying your stuff has gotten into an accident, there must be some things that can still be salvaged. Ask the moving company if they will provide another truck or you can find an alternative one to continue ferrying your items.

Establish liability

An investigation will be carried out to determine who is liable and your role is to cooperate fully with lawyers, the insurance company and police. You however need to be aware of the following facts:

• If the accident happened because of the chauffer’s negligence or driving under the influence, the insurance company of the chauffer’s employer will be liable.
• If the accident was as a result of mechanical malfunction, the truck owners will be liable.
• The accident can also be caused by a third party in which case their insurance should cover the expenses and the damage.
• Having a lawyer to help with all the cases and investigation that will follow the accident will really help and free you to deal with details surrounding your move.

Even though it is impossible to completely prevent an accident, certain rules must be followed by truck drivers and chauffeurs to ensure safety on the roads. Any one driving a large vehicle must be free from drugs or alcohol and they must be well rested and not sleepy. Moving companies must also ensure that their vehicles are well serviced and chauffeurs well trained for moving jobs.