The ‘dream’ mobile workforce is a well-oiled machine that always runs smoothly. Of course, that’s almost never the case.

Accidents are a reality, and the fallout is all too familiar: middle-of-the-night awakenings, worries about possible employee injuries, third party insurance claims, a mountain of admin work and major costs from vehicle downtime.

For all these reasons, you’ve probably thought about outsourcing accident management. But choosing a provider can be a very hard decision to make. In this blog, we’ll show you how to recognise the right service when you see it. 

Learn all you need to know about Accident Management here.

What should you look for in a fleet accident management company?

The right accident management service will make your life as a fleet manager easier. That means less confusion and stress when accidents happen, greater assurance that your employees are well cared-for and peace of mind from knowing all the ramifications of road incidents will be resolved on your behalf. 

Want an inside look at how accident management works with SurePlan? Click here to watch our short video.  

To pick the right accident management company, look for excellence in these three areas:

1. Incident reporting
   
   At the scene of an accident, there are a million questions that arise. Is anybody injured? How much damage was done to the vehicle? How will we coordinate roadside assistance? How did the incident even happen?
   
   Accurate, insightful accident reporting will provide the answers for you. Transparent reporting helps you identify your drivers' behind-the-wheel behaviours and overall risk levels, which will help you decide on remedial measures. Great reporting also provides crucial vehicle data that will help you address maintenance issues and avoid the next crash.
   
   SurePlan’s accident management process includes high-quality reporting that provides you with all the important information you need. Our solution enables instant visibility into the repair specifics of vehicle damage and accident causes, third party information and more.

The bottom line: Make sure your accident management company uses fully transparent, thorough reporting technology that is user-friendly and accessible anytime.

2. Risk reduction
   
   Any good accident management provider will address fleet risk. Lowering fleet risk is crucial for actually reducing the number of incidents, which can directly save your company a lot of money in repairs, legal and insurance costs and lost business.
   
   At SurePlan, we take a comprehensive approach to risk management. We look at two broad areas to identify areas of risk: your vehicles and your drivers.
   
   Then, we create a risk reduction programme for your unique fleet that includes identifying trends, training/monitoring drivers, ensuring vehicle fitness and examining root causes of past incidents to come up with a corrective plan of action.

The bottom line: Your accident management partner should have an exhaustive risk management strategy, helping you both address current areas of risk and take data-driven steps to prevent accidents.

3. Resolution processes
   
   An accident comes with an immense amount of ‘clean-up’ to be done. That includes everything from vehicle towing and repair, to handling third-party claims and the mountain of admin work that follows.
   
   It’s important to select a fleet accident management provider that is highly focused on prompt, complete accident resolution. A good partner will take on the admin and processes involved, saving you the expense of extra services and letting you get back to important day-to-day tasks.
   
   We at SurePlan are experts in resolution. As part of our accident management services, we settle every aspect of road incidents, including arranging compliant vehicle repair, lodging claims and supplying you with all the details through our online portal, bringing your admin headaches to a minimum.

The bottom line: Work with an accident management service that truly understands the hassles of accident resolution and will manage every aspect for you, leaving as little on your plate as possible.

When looking for an accident management partner, you have a big decision to make. You’ll benefit most from a company that intimately knows your needs as a fleet manager and meets them with thorough procedures for risk mitigation, reporting and resolution.

Choose the right partner and enjoy the confidence that your fleet will see fewer accidents — and your company will be less impacted by them.

To get an inside look at how accident management works with SurePlan, watch our brief intro video.