What to do in an accident

We all hope it’ll never happen to us but, at some time, many of us will unfortunately experience a car accident of some sort. There are some important things you must do at the scene.

• If somebody has been injured in the accident, you must call the police – and make sure an ambulance is on the way if it’s serious.
• Stop You must never just leave the scene of an accident; it is a criminal offence.
• Collect Make sure you have the full name and address of the other party involved and of any eye-witnesses.

• Swap Exchange names and addresses of car insurance policy companies with the other party. Policy numbers are also very useful, if you happen to have them with you.

  Note Always take down the other vehicle’s registration number.
• Tell your insurers about any statement made at the scene by any of the parties. Do not discuss whose fault it was. If you do, you could create problems for you and your insurers in the handling of your claim.
• If you’ve had an accident, you must tell your insurers as soon as possible – even if you don't intend to make a claim. This is a condition of your car insurance policy.
• Remember, if you bump a parked car, even if the owner is nowhere to be seen, you are legally obliged to leave a note with your contact details on the windscreen.

Once you have all this information you are ready to make a claim on your car insurance policy.