Car Insurance. What to do if you have an accident

At the accident scene
Firstly don't panic and never lose your temper! The other party involved in the accident may well be angry and try to argue with you. Please keep a cool head.

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If anybody is injured the first priority must be to get medical help. Phone the emergency services by dialing 999 and ask for ambulance. The police will be automatically informed. Remember, people are more important than the cars - tow trucks and traffic hold-ups must come well down the list of priorities.

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Never admit liability at the scene of an accident - even if you know it was your fault! The arguments about liability are for your insurance company or the courts to resolve.

Remember to note the position of the vehicles before they are moved - and wherever possible, get an independent witness of the accident. Take their name, address and phone number. Don't take a statement from them as your insurer will contact them for that. (By the way, your passengers don't qualify as independent witnesses.)

You must remember to exchange details with all of the other drivers and any other parties involved in the accident. This includes car registration numbers, home addresses, phone numbers and their insurance details. Be sure to get the name of their insurance company and, if possible, their policy number. If, at the scene of the accident, their insurance policy details are not available, you must contact them later for the details. You also need to take notes about the damage to your car AND the other cars involved. If you have a camera, take lots of photographs of the damage and the position of the cars on the road.

When you have collected the this information you can leave the scene of the accident.

Once home, you must look through your motor insurance policy to check whether or not you are covered.

For example with Third Party insurance policy, if the accident was your fault, only injuries to your passengers and damage or injury to the other parties involved is insured. Damage to your car is not insured. That means that any repairs to your car are your responsibility. But, if you can prove that the other person caused the accident then you will have to get your car repaired but you will be able to recover the cost from the other party's insurance company. That is why an independent witness is so valuable!

Finally, if the police did not attend the accident, it is your legal responsibility to report the accident to the police and within 4 hours. The police will raise an accident report number which you should keep safe as your motor insurance company will want that number.

Now tell your insurer about the accident. In the first instance phone their claims helpline.