Last year there were 17,796 reported traffic accidents in Nagoya City.
What would you do if you were the victim of a traffic accident? Here are a few points of advice for you to remember.
★After an Accident
1) Eliminate hazards - Move the vehicle / bicycle to a safe place to avoid disrupting traffic; if you are operating a vehicle, turn off the engine and switch on the hazard warning lights.
2) Provide assistance - If someone has been injured, call an ambulance (119) and provide first aid.
3) Get Information - Get the name, address, place of work, phone number, and insurance company of others involved in the accident. In the case of a hit-and-run incident, note the license plate number, if possible. Note the conditions of the accident
site and the extent of the damage; take photos with your mobile phone if possible. If there are any eyewitnesses, write down their names and addresses and ask for their testimony.
4) Call the police - 110 (see right). The police will officially document the traffic accident and give you an accident certificate, called a kotsujiko-shomeisho 交通事故証明書. This step is necessary if you want to claim damages from the accident.
5) Seek Treatment – If you feel sick or are injured after an accident seek treatment as soon as possible. If you do visit a hospital, make sure you ask for a medical certificate, called a shindan-sho 診断書, issued in your name. Without this medical
certificate it may be difficult to get an insurance company or the offending motorist to accept your claim for damages. Follow the doctor’s instructions for treatment, make sure you attend any follow up check-ups, and keep the receipts for any medical costs you
incur.
It is also important to keep in contact with your insurance company and the offending motorist to ensure that they make a firm commitment towards bearing all your treatment and other damage costs.
★Calling the Police
If you call 110 you will be connected to the Aichi Police HQ in Nagoya. The operator will ask the following questions.
Q: 何がありましたか nani ga arimashita ka – what happened? A: Koutsu jiko desu – 交通事故です - a traffic accident.
Q: それは、いつ起こりましたか - sore wa itsu okorimashita ka – when did it happen? A: Say what time or how many minutes ago - go fun mae (5 minutes ago)
Q: その場所はどこですか - sono basho wa doko desu ka – where did it happen? A: 1) Give a landmark - XYZ kosa-ten / XYZ koen / XYZ eki no chikaku desu
- near XYZ junction / XYZ park / XYZ station
2) Or find the nearest “No Parking” or “Stop” sign -
Find the silver sticker on the pole - located facing the road, about 1.5m above the ground. This is a police identification sticker called a hyoshiki kanri bango shi-ru標識管理番号シール.
Read first kanji – part of the city or ward name and read the numbers that are punched out from left to right; if no number is punched out, read it as “zero”. The example – reads “nakamura 12371”
Q: 被害の状況を教えてくださいHigai no jokyo wo oshiete kudasai – Is anyone injured? Is there any damage?
A: Kega-nin ga imasu – somebody is injured
Q: あなたの住所、氏名 を教えてくださいanata no jusho, shimei wo oshiete kudasai – What is your name & address?
★Worker's Compensation Insurance 労災
If you are injured in a traffic accident whilst working during commutes to / from work, by law an employer must provide compensation for medical treatment, time off and annuities when applicable. Even if a worker is employed on a part-time basis, temporary basis, or
is an “illegal worker”, the law still applies.
Medical compensation reimbursements are made for medical costs incurred during the period in which a worker received treatment for injury or illness until they are recovered properly.
■Compensation for time off is 60% of normal wages (based on wages received three months prior to the day of injury or illness) and is paid in the case that the employer does not pay the employee for time taken off during injury or illness. An
additional 20% of wages is paid from labor-related welfare project programs for a total compensation rate of 80% of wages.
■Claiming compensation: Certificates from your employer and doctor are required to apply for compensation. If your employer refuses to apply for compensation on your behalf, a gyoseishoshi can also help you apply (see right).
★Traffic Accident Consultations
Nagoya City offers free traffic accident consultations at the Nagoya City Citizen’s Consultation Counter (市民相談室shimin-soudan-shitsu)
■When: Mon – Fri (08 :45 – 17 :00)
■Where: Nagoya City Hall – West Annex 1F (名古屋市役所西庁舎1階)
■Access: Shiyakusho Subway Station, exit 6
■Tel: 052-972-3160
The service is in Japanese only, but the Nagoya International Center can offer interpretation assistance in English with its 3-way phone system - Torio-hon - available Tuesday - Saturday 09:00 -19:00 in English,
10:00 - 12:00 & 13:00 - 1700 in Spanish & Portuguese, & 13:00 - 1700 Chinese, Korean, and Filipino (Thursday only) at 052-581-6112.
■Example Torio-hon Situation: Mrs. A goes to the Traffic Accident Consultation Counter at Nagoya City Hall, but she is not confident explaining her situation in Japanese. Mrs. A calls the Nagoya International Center’s special Torio-hon phone line,
explains her situation, and the Nagoya International Center calls the Consultation Counter and sets up the 3-way call, allowing the Consultation Counter staff to simultaneously join the conversation with Mrs. A and the NIC interpreter. Mrs. A can now speak to the
Consultation Counter’s staff through NIC’s interpreter and get her questions answered in her native language.
■Free Legal Consultations
The Nagoya International Center also offers free legal consultations with a lawyer and interpreter.
★If you are a Victim of a Hit & Run
In the case of hit-and-run accidents, and accidents involving non-insured or stolen vehicles the government guarantees a fixed amount of compensation, known as seifu hosho 政府保障, to people injured in traffic accidents. An applicant can receive up to a maximum of 1.2
million yen for injury compensation, 30 million yen in case of death, and between 750,000 & 40 million yen in case of permanent disability.
Applications can be done through any domestic insurance company. The insurance company will notify the government on your behalf and receive the compensation money, charging you a handling fee in the process.
A gyoseishoshi can help you apply for the insurance. A gyoseishoshi (行政書士) is nationally certified administrative clerk who can assist you and act on your behalf as a when handling administrative work to be turned into governmental offices.
■Items Needed
- Shinsatsusho 診察書- available from the hospital
- Kotsujiko-shomeisho 交通事故証明書 - available for 600 Yen from the Safe Driving Center located at the Aichi Prefectural Police Headquarters (Tel: 052-954-8930 – located on Dekimachi-dori, near Shiyakusho Subway Station, exit 6).
Traffic Accidents 交通事故
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