What to do in a car accident

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A guide on car accidents

Updated March 5, 2024
Written by Kenneth Young
Reviewed by Adrian Taylor

Expert tips if you get into a car accident

Our resident car insurance expert, Adrian Taylor, has helpful and safe tips to handle getting into a car accident.

Adrian Taylor
Executive General Manager – General Insurance

Save your insurer’s contact number

Having your insurer on your phone so you can quickly give them a call if you need to can be a life saver. Do the same with your roadside assistance provider and towing service.

Take photos of the whole scene

If it’s safe to do so, take photos of the incident from multiple angles, including all vehicles involved and a wide shot of the location, to capture as much detail as possible.

Save your insurance policy details to your phone

If you own more than one car but you have them insured through different companies, make sure you note who is insuring which car. It could be handy to take a photo of your policy where it has the details of your car and policy number saved to your phone.

Follow these steps after an accident

We’ve compiled this list of tips and steps to guide you through what to do in a car accident.

Check the safety of everyone involved

Report the accident to the police

Gather information from the other driver and witnesses

Don’t admit fault

Take pictures

Call your insurance provider

Important to know

What to do when you have a minor car accident

What to do if your car is in a dangerous position

At fault and not at fault car accidents

Not at fault car accident

At fault car accident

Claims questions

How to claim car insurance after an accident

Someone hit my car; whose insurer do I call?

Is there a time limit on insurance claims?

Meet our car insurance expert, Adrian Taylor

Adrian Taylor
Executive General Manager – General Insurance

As Executive General Manager of General Insurance at Compare the Market, Adrian Taylor is passionate about demystifying car insurance for consumers, so they have a better understanding of what they’re covered for. Adrian’s goal is to make more information available from more insurers, to make it easier to compare and save.