What to Do After a Car Accident — UK Checklist
The minutes and hours after a road accident matter more than people realise. Decisions made when you are shaken, in pain, or just disoriented can affect a claim for the next two years. This guide is a practical, step-by-step checklist of what to do — at the scene, in the first 24 hours, in the days that follow, and before you commit to anything with an insurer or claims company.
In this guide
- At the Scene — The First 30 Minutes
- In the First 24 Hours
- In the Days After
- Before You Choose a Claims Company or Solicitor
- Common Questions About Post-Accident Steps
- Related Guides
- Our Partner's Fees Explained
- Check If You Could Claim Compensation For Your Injury
Print this, save it, or send the link to family members who drive. Most people will not need it. The ones who do will want it close to hand.
At the Scene — The First 30 Minutes
1. Stop and Check for Injuries
UK law requires drivers involved in any accident causing injury or significant damage to stop. Check yourself and any passengers, then check the occupants of the other vehicle if you can do so safely. Call 999 immediately if anyone is seriously injured, trapped, or unconscious.
2. Move to Safety If You Can
If your vehicle is causing a hazard and you can move it safely, do so. On motorways, get out (if safe) and stand behind the barrier — not by the side of your car. Turn on hazard lights. For minor accidents on busy roads, moving the vehicles to a safer location prevents further collisions.
3. Call the Police
Call 999 for any accident involving injury, or where the road is blocked. Call 101 for non-emergency reporting of damage-only collisions. The police should always be informed if:
- Anyone is injured
- The other driver leaves the scene without exchanging details
- You suspect the other driver is uninsured, drunk, or driving while disqualified
- There is significant damage to vehicles or property
- The road is blocked or there is a hazard to other road users
Get the police reference number before they leave. For hit-and-run cases, report within 5 days for property damage or 14 days for personal injury — see our hit and run accident claims guide.
4. Exchange Details — UK law (Road Traffic Act 1988) requires drivers to exchange:
- Name and address
- Vehicle registration number
- Insurance details — insurer name, policy number
In practice, also get: their phone number and email, the name and registration of any other vehicles involved, and the names of any passengers. If they refuse to provide details, note their registration and report to the police — failure to exchange details is itself an offence.
5. Take Photos and Video — Use your phone to take:
- Wide shots showing both vehicles in position
- Close-ups of all damage to both vehicles
- Photos of skid marks, debris, or any environmental factors (weather, lighting, road condition)
- Photos of road signs, traffic lights, lane markings
- Photos of any visible injuries you have
- A photo of the other driver’s insurance certificate if shown
- A photo of the registration plate (in case details written down are wrong)
A 30-second video walkthrough of the scene captures things a still photo can miss. Phone metadata automatically dates and locates the photos, which adds significant evidential weight.
6. Find Witnesses
Anyone who saw the accident is a potential witness — passers-by, other drivers who stopped, shop owners with a view of the road. Get their name and a phone number or email. A name alone is much less useful; people move on, change jobs, and disappear from areas. If they’re willing, a quick voice memo of their account is gold-standard.
7. Do Not Admit Fault
Even where you think you may have been partly to blame, do not admit fault at the scene. Adrenaline, shock, and incomplete information mean your snap judgment may be wrong. The legal apportionment of fault is a complex assessment based on full evidence — including CCTV, dashcam, and witness statements that you may not yet have. Apologising for the situation (“I’m so sorry this happened”) is different from admitting fault (“It was my fault”). Stick to the facts of what happened.
In the First 24 Hours
8. Get Medical Attention
Even if you feel “okay” or “just a bit shaken”, get medical attention. Adrenaline masks pain, and serious injuries can present hours or even days later. Options:
- A&E if you have any concerning symptoms (head injury, chest pain, abdominal pain, severe pain)
- NHS 111 for advice if unsure
- Your GP within a day or two for any persistent symptoms
- A walk-in centre for minor injuries
A clinical record of your symptoms shortly after the accident is essential for any future claim. Without it, insurers may argue that injuries appearing later are unrelated to the accident.
9. Save Dashcam Footage
If you have a dashcam, save the footage immediately — many cameras automatically overwrite old recordings after a few hours or days. Copy it to your phone or a computer and back it up. Pass a copy to anyone helping you with the claim.
10. Note the Time, Date and Location
Write down the exact time and date of the accident and the precise location (postcode, road name, mile marker, nearest junction). Memory degrades quickly — a contemporaneous note now is much more reliable than recall in six months.
11. Make a Written Account
Within 24 hours, write down your account of what happened — in your own words, in as much detail as you can. Include the lead-up to the accident (where you were going, how long you had been driving), the moment of impact, and the immediate aftermath. This becomes your contemporaneous record and is far more reliable than your memory months later.
In the Days After
12. Be Careful With the Other Insurer
The other driver’s insurer may contact you directly, often within days of the accident. This is sometimes called “third-party capture”. Be cautious. The insurer’s call typically:
- Records your account, which may be used against you later
- Offers an immediate “settlement” before you have had medical assessment
- Suggests you don’t need a solicitor (they have an interest in you not getting one)
- May ask leading questions designed to elicit an admission
You have no obligation to give a recorded statement to the other insurer. Politely decline and tell them you will be taking advice. Then call a specialist solicitor — most offer free initial consultations and there is no commitment.
13. Notify Your Own Insurer
You must notify your own insurer of the accident, usually within a few days. This is a contractual obligation under your policy even if you do not intend to claim from your own insurance. Stick to the facts; do not speculate on fault. Your insurer can help with vehicle recovery and (if you have comprehensive cover) immediate repair, and may also arrange a courtesy car.
14. Keep a Symptom Diary
A simple day-by-day note of your symptoms — pain, sleep disturbance, restricted movement, anxiety, anything that has changed since the accident — significantly strengthens any future claim. A few lines a day is enough. This is particularly important for soft-tissue injuries (whiplash, sprains) where there is no objective scan to demonstrate the impact.
15. Keep All Receipts — Anything you spend because of the accident is potentially recoverable as special damages:
- Prescriptions
- Taxi fares and parking
- Physiotherapy or osteopathy
- Replacement of damaged clothing, glasses, or property
- Childcare costs you wouldn’t otherwise have paid
- Mileage to medical appointments (claimable at HMRC rates)
Keep a folder (digital or paper) and put receipts in it as you go. Reconstructing this later is much harder than capturing it as it happens.
16. Don’t Sign Anything Without Advice
In the weeks after the accident you may be presented with: forms from insurers, “settlement offers”, consent forms for medical examinations arranged by the other side, or paperwork from claims management companies. Don’t sign anything until you understand what it commits you to. A specialist personal injury solicitor will review documents for free as part of an initial consultation.
Before You Choose a Claims Company or Solicitor
A few practical pointers:
- Personal injury claims work on no win no fee — you should not pay anything upfront. See our how no win no fee works guide
- The success fee is capped by law at 25% of general damages and past losses
- Solicitors must be regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA); claims management companies by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)
- Ask whether the firm specialises in personal injury — generalist solicitors handle some cases but specialist firms typically achieve better outcomes
- For serious injuries, look for APIL accreditation or membership of the Headway Personal Injury Lawyers panel
- Most reputable firms offer a free initial consultation with no obligation
Common Questions About Post-Accident Steps
I feel fine but I was in a serious accident. Should I still see a doctor?
Yes. Adrenaline and shock can mask significant injuries for hours or days. Internal injuries, head trauma, and soft-tissue damage often present late. A medical assessment within 24-48 hours is recommended for any accident involving significant impact. It is also evidentially important — a gap between the accident and the first medical record can be used by insurers to argue the injury was not accident-related.
The other driver said it was their fault but their insurer now disputes liability. What can I do?
Admissions at the scene can still be used as evidence, but they are not binding on the insurer. Get your account in writing, find any witnesses, and submit any dashcam footage. The insurer’s position can be challenged through formal disclosure and (if necessary) court proceedings. A specialist solicitor will know how to deal with this routinely.
I lost consciousness and cannot remember the accident. Does that defeat my claim?
No. Memory loss after a serious accident — particularly involving head injury — is common and well-understood by courts. The case is built using objective evidence: dashcam, CCTV, vehicle damage patterns, accident reconstruction, witness statements, and police investigation. Your account is one piece of the picture but is rarely decisive on its own.
How long do I have to report the accident to my insurer?
Most policies require notification “as soon as reasonably practicable” — typically within a few days. Check your specific policy terms but err on the side of earlier rather than later. Delayed reporting can sometimes void cover, particularly for hit-and-run cases through the MIB.
I was a passenger. What should I do?
The steps are similar but with two specific points. First, you almost always have a claim regardless of which driver was at fault — passengers rarely have any liability. Second, your claim is normally against the at-fault driver’s insurer; if the driver of the car you were in was at fault, that includes claims against their insurance. You should still gather scene details and witness information independently rather than relying on the driver to handle it.
What if the accident was minor and there are no obvious injuries?
Still take photographs, exchange details, and write a contemporaneous account. Soft-tissue injuries often present 24-48 hours after a “minor” impact. Whiplash from a low-speed shunt is one of the most commonly claimed injuries in the UK. Doing the basics at the scene preserves your options without committing to anything.
Related Guides
Evidence Needed for a Personal Injury Claim
Uninsured Driver Accident Claims
Should I Accept the First Compensation Offer?
Check If You Could Claim Compensation For Your Injury
If you were injured in an accident that wasn’t your fault, you may be entitled to compensation. Start a free claim check in minutes — no upfront cost. No win, no fee if your claim is accepted.
