What to do after a car accident: a step-by-step guide

At the roadside

Hazard lights on, engine off. On a motorway or fast dual carriageway, if the car will still move, pull onto the hard shoulder, or into an emergency area if there's no hard shoulder. Get everyone out through the doors furthest from the traffic, and wait behind the barrier. Don't stand between the two cars to look at the damage.

Adrenaline hides aches, so even if you feel fine, keep an eye on yourself for a day or two and see your GP or call NHS 111 if your neck or back starts to stiffen.

Try not to get drawn into who was to blame. Most policies ask you not to admit liability at the scene, and a quick "sorry, that was me" has a habit of turning up later in the other driver's account. Be polite and stick to what happened.

Getting the other driver's details

The legal minimum is names, addresses, registrations and insurance details. Get more than that, because claims stall surprisingly often over a mistyped mobile number or a misspelt surname:

• their full name, address and mobile number
• the registration, make, model and colour of their car
• their insurer and, if they have it to hand, the policy number
• the owner's name and address if the car isn't theirs, for example a company or hire car
• anyone who saw it happen, with a phone number for each

Read the details back before you part. If they won't give them, or they drive off, write down the registration and whatever you remember about the car and driver, and report it to the police. If the driver turns out to be uninsured or can't be traced, the claim goes through the Motor Insurers' Bureau (MIB) rather than an insurer.

What to photograph

Take more photos than feels necessary. Phone photos carry the time and place, which helps later.

• both cars from each corner, so it's clear where the damage sits
• close-ups of every dent, scrape and broken light, on both cars
• the other car's number plate, ideally in the same frame as its damage
• the wider scene: the junction, road markings, signs, traffic lights and where the cars stopped
• debris, skid marks, and anything like a pothole or a hidden sign that played a part

If you have a dashcam, save the clip straight away. Most record over themselves on a loop.

When a damaged car comes into our Basildon workshop, the photos from the scene are often the most useful thing the owner brings. They help separate fresh damage from old marks, and they count for a lot when the other driver's version doesn't match yours.

Write it down while you remember

The order of events blurs quickly. Before you leave, note the date, time and exact spot (road name, nearest junction or house number), which way each car was heading, roughly what speed you were doing and what happened, step by step. Add anything the other driver said about the accident. A rough sketch with an arrow for each car takes two minutes and makes the claim form far easier.

What to do after a car accident that wasn't your fault

Ring us before you start a claim with your own insurer. We can take it on as a non-fault accident claim and claim the costs back from the at-fault driver's insurer, so nothing is claimed on your policy and there's no excess to pay. You also get a replacement car similar to yours while it's being repaired.

You should still let your own insurer know the accident happened. Most policies require you to tell them about any accident, claim or no claim, and reporting it is not the same as claiming. Ask them to confirm it's been logged as a report, not a claim. How it might show up at renewal is covered in will a non-fault accident affect my insurance?

If it was your fault, or fault is unclear

Ring the claims line on your policy documents or app and get a claim reference. They may steer you towards their own approved garage. You can usually choose your own bodyshop, though some policies attach conditions, which we go through in can my insurer choose where my car is repaired?

If the car can't be driven

Don't drive it away if a warning light has come on, a wheel looks out of line, a headlight or brake light is broken, or something is rubbing or leaking. Your breakdown cover or your insurer can arrange recovery, and so can we: ring your nearest Newbridge site and we'll bring the car in. Be wary of anyone who turns up unasked, offering to tow the car and sort out a hire car: ask who they work for and what you're signing before you hand over the keys.

Paperwork you'll hear about

• Claim reference: the number your insurer or claims handler gives you. Quote it every time.
• Liability: who is to blame, which the insurers agree between them.
• Engineer's report: the assessment of damage and repair cost. On our non-fault claims, an independent engineer looks at the car and agrees the price of the repair.
• Authorisation: the go-ahead for the bodyshop to start work.

When you're ready to get it repaired

Newbridge has three bodyshops: our Basildon accident repair centre in Essex on 01268 590 722, Dartford in Kent on 01322 930 719 and Sydenham in South London on 020 8659 2221. Ring the nearest, from the roadside if you like, and we'll tell you whether it sounds like a non-fault claim. If the car's driveable and you just want a price, send photos through our online repair quote form. Our accident repairs page explains how we handle fault and non-fault work, and you can read our Basildon Google reviews.