Mutual and Federal has launched a vehicle accident management process that it says will help eliminate fraud and bring down costs by controlling the towing and repair process.
Mutual and Federal has launched a vehicle accident management process that it says will help eliminate fraud and bring down the cost of repairs by controlling the towing and repair process.
“The problem starts at the scene of the accident,” said M&F managing director Bruce Campbell. “For many years, Mutual & Federal has had to deal with an inefficient vehicle repair process because the towing of vehicles from the scene of an accident was never managed. If you can manage the towing of a vehicle from the scene of an accident to the repairer, you can ensure the quality of service and the cost to both client and insurer,” he said.
The insurance company has entered a partnership with towing operator, First Road Emergency, to ensure they manage the entire operation from the accident scene and not just from the repair shop. The insurance company said this would help bring down towing fees and contain the costs for both the policyholder and the insurance company. It would also ensure that a reputable towing company was taking care of the motorist’s vehicle.
The insurance company said that the recovery vehicles have been marked with the M&F decal and a unique vehicle number to allow insurance holders to be sure their vehicles would only be towed by First Road Emergency. All recovery units are monitored 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Their movements are tracked via a central control room and they keep in touch with drivers and victims at the scene of the accident.
“With our company infrastructure and extensive vehicle network we can ensure that Mutual and Federal policy holders are serviced by a professional organisation and that their vehicles are towed and safely secured for repair,” said Clinton Spolander, Operations Director of First Road Emergency. Where necessary, specially equipped Family Care Units will also be dispatched to the scene of the accident to assist victims and ensure that uninjured passengers are taken home.
Although this new service is currently available only to M&F policyholders within the Greater Johannesburg area, plans are underway to roll it out to the rest of South Africa, said Kennedy.
Do you think tow truck drivers are a problem? Should other insurance companies use this process?
