THE DO NOT’S

DO NOT MOVE YOUR CAR FROM THE LOCATION OF THE ACCIDENT Yes, I know this blocks traffic and it makes no sense whatsoever, but if you move your car you are automatically guilty even if you are not at fault.

DO NOT ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ACCIDENT

DO NOT MAKE ANY TYPE OF FINANCIAL ARRANGEMENT

It is very common in Panama to hear this “in Panama we each pay for what happen to our own cars.” Or other people will try to ask you for money instead. Unless you are mechanic or work in the auto industry you do not know how much pieces are worth and that settlement you make will not be covered by the insurance company.

DO NOT FORGET TO GET THE OTHER PARTY’S INFO

Write down the name(s), telephone, cedula/passport number, the license plate number, and the car brand. If you carry a camera or a phone camera it’s always a good idea to take pictures. If there are any witnesses talk to them, they will usually be very cooperative.

DO NOT FORGET TO CALL/CONTACT YOUR INSURANCE BROKER

Keep the company or my cel phone (6676-5151) in your cel phone. If it’s after labor hours call the number of your insurance company’s roadside assistance (you should also keep this number in your cel or place the sticker the company gives you in your car). If it is an emergency feel free to contact us.

WHAT TO DO?

If there is no policeman nearby then you have to call the Police for them to send over a policeman who will inspect the scene.

Panama City ~ 232-5614 or 232-6845

Colon ~ 441-4197

David, Chiriqui ~ 776 -8125

Each insurance company has motorized drives which come to the scene of an accident and assist you as well as record and take pictures of what occurred.

~ AssaMovil 205-0220

~ Mundial Assist 390-9090

~ HSBC Seguros 265-8255

~ Generali 205-0224

~ Internacional de Seguros 265-2881

~ InterOceanica 265-8255

If the other party leaves the scene of the accident, call a policeman and report that a “colision y fuga” happened to you. The policeman will write a report which you should keep for the insurance company as well as for your personal records to relieve you from any future legal liability.

IN CASE OF INJURIES, WHAT TO DO?

In case the accident gets messy and there are injuries or if you run over a pedestrian, you have the responsibility to help them. Call your insurance company and let them know what happened. Depending on where you are call an ambulance or take them to the hospital. Your insurance company should send you an ambulance or call directly (all companies use one of the two bellow):

Ambulance:

SEMM 264-4122

ALERTA 269-1111, 800-0911

Depending on where you are it’s better to drive the person. Anywhere outside of the main cities, it is better to drive the person to the nearest hospital because ambulances can take a while to arrive.

If it’s your fault and you need to pay for the initial ingression or such, pay for it but first let the insurance company know and keep the receipts. Do not pay for any treatments or surgery. And make sure to take the police report as well.

GOING TO COURT

Thank God your policy covers for legal fees, which means you do not have to go to court! You need to ask for this benefit and there are no costs for it. Contact me (6676-5151) and the insurance company and you will need to take the citation to the insurance company and sign a release of power over to the company’s attorney.

I strongly suggest taking this benefit because courts anywhere are awful, and Panama is no exception to that rule. If you do not go to court and the lawyer doesn’t go for you, you automatically are found guilty and have to pay a fine besides the costs of the other party’s damage.

***Print this article and keep it in your car.

Article 210. All traffic accident which occurs in public roads, as well as areas of public access, will be attended by a traffic inspector of the National Police Force and informed to the Transit Courts for transaction, unless when there are fatal accident victims.

The driver or owner of the vehicle in the accident can choose which towing company to use to move the vehicle. In case the vehicle can’t be moved immediately, the same will be moved off the road.

Note: remember not to move your car until after the traffic inspector arrives. Also, your policy includes towing services.

Article 211. After a traffic accident occurs, the police’s traffic inspector will write a report of what happened which is called “parte policivo”, and this shall include:

1. General information on the drivers and their vehicles, and what ever other person or property involved.

2. Names of the injured or deceased person(s).

3. Name of the witnesses if they are still in the area/place of the accident.

4. Description of the visible damages to the vehicles or public/private property.

5. Map of the area.

6. Description of what occurred.

7. Proof of intoxication by alcohol or stupefying substances.

8. Any other information that the A.T.T.T. requires.

In the report the inspector will give the site and the date of the hearing to the involved drivers by giving them a ticket with the number of the date and the signature of both parties. The court hearing should be done in a period of fifteen (15) days starting from the date of the traffic accident.

Note: in case one of the involved drivers does not want to accept the notification of the date of the hearing, any witness whom the police officer (who is writing the report) assigns can sign the citation. In any case, the traffic inspector will give each driver a copy of the citation.

Article 212. Injured people involved in the accident will be cited to the hearing and are obligated to appear in front of the Traffic Court, unless there is justified cause given by el “Instituto de Medicina Legal” who determines that the person can’t attend.

Note: your policy includes legal services.

Article 213. The traffic inspector which arrives at the accident site will take necessary means for the conservation of the life of injured persons and the protection of material possessions; the inspector can take photos, film, declaration of witnesses with the intention to reach them, and any other proof which will help in the investigation of the facts, which has to be send to a Traffic Judge entitled to oversee the case.

Article 214. When the it is impossible to write a police report “parte policivo” in the place of the accident because one of the parts fled the scene of the accident, the affected part can place a formal complaint because of hit and run of another vehicle or of a person or for any damage to private/public property. This complaint will be done in the police station which is in charge of the area where the accident happened.

This complaint must be done in a period of no more than forty eight (48) hours after the occurrence of the event. After this time period is done, the complaint shall be remitted to the Transit Judge on duty in a term which does not exceed eight (8) calendar days after the event occurred.

Source: No 25701 Gaceta Oficial Digital, Friday 29 of December 2006 80

Article 215. Once the complaint is formalized, the National Police will conduct the investigation.

The National Police will coordinate with the Traffic Court (who allowed the complaint) in the process of gathering all the information necessary to clear up what happened, especially the following:

~ The signature of the citation ticket to all the parties involved in the complaint established in the previous article.

~ Question government workers of other jurisdiction to locate the presumed suspects.

~ Sworn declaration of the involved parties, witnesses, and other people who might be useful in the investigation.

~ In case of injuries a letter will be made to send the injured person to el “Instituto de Medicina Legal”.

~ Any else which might be needed for the investigation and which needs the support of the Traffic Judge.

Article 217. Once the denounced person is found, the National Police will proceed to reconstruct the accident and elaborate the report, which will be sent to the Traffic Court in charge of the investigation.

In this stage of investigation, it is the Traffic Courts obligation to admit writings and power signatures which are requested by any of the affected parties.

Note: with your policy you can sign over the power to the Insurance Company’s attorney and not have to go to court.

Article 218. The corresponding Traffic Court after conducting the investigation and produced a report or “parte policivo”, will then proceed to do the corresponding hearing.

Article 220. Under no circumstances will the court entertain complaints placed in which “friendly agreements” are proven to have been made between the parts involved in the traffic accident and by a common agreement both decided not to wait for the traffic inspector.