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Serious Traffic Accident |
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The information provided in all Mexican pages are only suggestions and anecdotal stories. The information in the Mexican pages is a generic peace of work and is meant only as a general guide, it should not be taken as absolute fact. The information provided in this pages can change at any given day.
The following is a fictional account of a thousand-to-one chance traffic accident.
The other car ran the stop sign and I plowed
right into him. His small compact is obviously totaled but thankfully, although
bleeding from his face and arms, he appears to be all right. We were luckier
although the collision bashed in our bumper and radiator. We don't speak Spanish
but it is quite obvious that the other driver is really upset about the
accident. He stopped haranguing after he discovered that we don't speak Spanish.
There are now three cop cars present at the scene, two officers are directing
traffic while the third, with sergeant stripes on his sleeve is taking a report
down. The other driver is quite animated, talking excitedly and pointing to you and then
to your rig. The cop finishes with the man then walks over to us "You
espeak espanish?" he asks. You reply "No". He then goes to his
car and gets on the radio. You would love to get to a telephone and call the
insurance broker back home, but it's Saturday afternoon and the only option is
to refer to the thin booklet given with the policy. It says for you to have your
driver license, Mexican temporary import bonding permit, your tourist card, and
insurance policy available. You stand there clutching the paperwork like it is a
life preserver in a heaving sea.
A new cop car arrives and a uniformed officer goes over and starts talking with
the sergeant. It turns out that he is sort of bi-lingual. When it is revealed
that he speaks some English you and your spouse immediately burst forth with a
flood of denials, questions, and requests. He shakes his head sadly. You'll have
to speak slowly and clearly.
Corrective Action At This Point: Rather than stand
around, why not get your camera out and take photos or shoot the scene with a
camcorder. In this case, those incriminating skid marks barreling through the
stop sign are a powerful visual tool. Do not however attempt to film the cops or
act like you are intimidating them with the presence of your camera.
The "interpreter" says that the drivers of the involved vehicles will
have to go to the police station. Have your spouse write down the name of the
officer and then ask the interpreter to carefully write down the address and
telephone number of the police station. It's time to split up, and the spouse
should stay with the rig until it is safely ensconced within the fence or walls
of a body shop or storage yard. If the spouse doesn't feel comfortable riding
with the tow truck driver then hire a taxi. Have the interpreter cop make all of
the arrangements in Spanish. The key to all of this is remaining composed and
objective. Rather than needlessly fret, carefully record everything.
The drivers are going to be driven to the police station then they will be asked
to sit in chairs beside a desk while the officer laboriously types an accident
report. Don't be surprised if you thought that you saw the other driver slip a
wad of pesos to the cop. He probably doesn't have a dime's worth of insurance
and he knows for a fact that the damage to your rig is going to equal a year of
his salary. This is where a more qualified interpreter usually comes on stage
and then you can spend the next hour or so describing the accident to the cop
taking the report.
Your spouse meanwhile has their act together, and when the owner of the body
shop gets through making out their paperwork, they are given a meticulously
detailed tour of the coach. Scribbling furiously your spouse has make a detailed
list of radios, televisions, appliances and other valuable gear (this is an
excellent thing to do before you leave home), and then have the management sign
and date it. You keep the copy. Lock all windows and doors, hand the man the
keys, while fingering the inventory list in an obvious fashion. As a matter it
might be a good idea to do the same thing with exterior accessories like roof solar panels,
antennas, and hub caps. Make sure that all exterior compartments are locked and
make sure that the management is given a full tour of that as well. You are
implying with crystal clear intention that any theft or missing gear is going to
be his responsibility and you have the paperwork to back it up. Unlike the US!
A, verbal contract "suits" are decided within 24 hours of filing in
Mexico, and much to your surprise the verdict is usually against the vendor or
shop owner! In other words, that inside and outside tour is worth its weight in
gold. It's time to find a good hotel room then after that head on down to the
police department. The shop owner or management will gladly call a cab for you.
Reunited at the police station, you find that it is necessary to contact the
insurance adjuster. He isn't home (or at the office). You find a telephone and
call your USA insurance agent to be connected to voice mail. Leave a message
stating your policy number and the name of the town or city that you are in.
Mexican police do not release the drivers of automobiles involved in serious
accidents until all claims have been settled. The other driver does not have
insurance and you cannot reach an adjuster or the (optional cost) attorney. It
is explained to you that the drivers must stay overnight in private cells and
will be let out first thing in the morning after the officers arrive for work.
Rather than shudder at this prospect you might recommend: "I am
willing to pay an off-duty officer full salary plus food and transportation
costs to sit outside my hotel door room for the night". For perhaps thirty
to fifty dollars, you can be lounging in a hotel. As long as you have a cop
tailing you, you can go out to dinner or anywhere else for that matter. Be
reasonable and work out the details with the interpreter.
Note: Too many gringos have bolted for the border when released under their own
recognizance.
Resist the temptation to "pay a fine" in order to speed things up. It
doesn't work. Your adjuster will show up perhaps twelve hours later, and he will
immediately go to bat for you in order to prove the other party guilty. Aren't
you glad you took those incriminating photographs? This is where that extra
liability clause will work to reassure you that you will have enough insurance.
The adjuster will follow you from the police station, and then review the damage
to your rig. Don't expect a final settlement figure at this point but remember
that all claims must be reported and the documents signed in Mexico. If you go
back home without reporting a loss then you have lost the right to collect a
dime.
Mexicans are ingenious in patch repairs and within a day or so, you have full
operation of your rig. Whether or not you are bummed out enough to cancel the
remainder of your trip is a personal decision.
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Note: Mexican cops have to pay for their car's gasoline and flat tires, toll charges, telephone, and uniform. It is expected that they collect enough "Bribes" on the street to make up for their daily wage which in a medium city is about twenty five dollars a day for a patrolman.