This article is the copy-and-paste skeleton for an internal claims process: the driver's steps, the fleet manager's tasks and the role matrix – written so the company can fill in its own names and use it straight away. The background logic is in the claims process article; in every version, notification runs through the insurer's official channel.
- The template has three parts: driver steps (5 points), fleet manager tasks (5 points), and a role matrix.
- The parts in square brackets need to be customised: names, phone numbers, channels.
- Rolling the process out is part of the template too: a short briefing plus a signed acknowledgement.
- The claims cheat sheet (the short, glovebox version) lives in the on-scene checklist article.
The driver's five steps (a text template to roll out)
- Safety: pull over safely, switch on your hazard lights, put on your hi-vis vest, and set out your warning triangle. If anyone is injured, call the emergency number.
- Document it: photograph the scene, the vehicles, the number plates and the damage from every angle – more than you'd think you need.
- Details: fill in the European Accident Statement together; note down the other party's and any witnesses' details. Do not sign any statement admitting fault.
- Report it: call [fleet manager's name, phone number] while still at the scene – they'll tell you the next step.
- Paperwork: photograph the completed statement and send it to [channel]; hand in the original at [location].
The fleet manager's five tasks
- Receive it: log the driver's report, and give immediate instructions if needed (towing, courtesy car request).
- File it: open a claim folder [location], and collect the material from the scene.
- Notify: report the claim via the insurer's claims line / portal [contact details] – record the claim number. (This is the official and fastest route.)
- Follow up: arrange the survey, complete any missing documentation, and track status on the claim number.
- Close it: check the payment/settlement, close the folder, and add the claim to the quarterly review list.
The role matrix
Summed up in one line, for the rollout: the driver documents and reports at the scene – doesn't comment on fault, doesn't negotiate; the fleet manager coordinates and notifies via the official channel – doesn't “handle it” in place of the insurer; the insurer receives the case on its claims line, surveys it and decides; the broker (me) builds the system, and helps you, where I can, on cases that get stuck or disputed – for a routine case, the route is the claims line. If a case is still stuck after [X weeks], the fleet manager flags it to me: that's where the broker's help starts.
Rollout and upkeep
The rollout process: customise the text (names, channels, phone numbers), run a 20-minute driver briefing with a worked example, get a signed acknowledgement, and put the claims cheat sheet in every glovebox. Upkeep is annual: refresh contact details, and feed in lessons learned from the quarterly reviews. On request, I'll customise the template for your company, aligned with your fleet's policy terms – deductibles, exclusions, notification deadlines.
Notes on customising it
When adapting the template, pay attention to four points. Names and channels: every square bracket filled in, with a backup arrangement (who steps in if the fleet manager is on leave). Tone of voice: the driver-facing text should sound like the company – formal or informal address should follow your internal convention. Length: the version you roll out should stay to one page – anything that doesn't fit is background material. And alignment: the claims process needs to match the policy wording (notification deadlines, exclusions) – I take care of checking this before the process is rolled out. Updating it is an annual routine: contact details, lessons learned, the specifics of any new vehicle types.
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