What to Do After a Car Accident

SafeWest Insurance Team
Jul 29
2 min read

Accidents happen — even to the safest drivers. If you’ve been involved in a motor accident and believe you’re not at fault, it’s important to take the right steps straight away. This helps protect you legally, support your insurance claim, and recover your costs sooner.

Here’s what you should do:

1. Make Sure Everyone is Safe

Check for injuries and call emergency services if anyone is hurt or there is significant property damage.

If it’s safe to do so:

Move the vehicles out of traffic
Turn on hazard lights

2. Collect Important Details at the Scene

Even if you’re not at fault, you need to gather as much information as possible from the other party and the scene itself. This helps your insurer recover the cost of the damage on your behalf.

Please collect:

The other driver’s full name, phone number & address
Their vehicle registration number
Driver licence details
Make and model of the other vehicle
Their insurance provider and policy number (if available)
Photographs of:
- Both vehicles and the damage
- Surrounding area/intersection
- Licence plates
- Road conditions or signs

If there were any witnesses, try to gather their contact info too.

Tip: If the other party admits fault, politely ask them to put it in writing or record it (if appropriate), but don’t push for it if they’re unsure or upset.

3. Report the Incident to Police (If Required)

You’re generally required to report the accident to police if someone is injured, there’s a dispute, or damage is significant (this varies by state).

Otherwise, you can still obtain an incident number, which helps with your claim.

4. Contact Your Broker ASAP

As your broker, we’re here to take the stress off your shoulders.

Let us know what happened and send through:

Photos and any written statements
Details of the other driver
Police report number (if applicable)
Any dashcam footage (if available)

We’ll lodge the claim for you, liaise with the insurer, and advise you on whether you’ll need to pay an excess — often, if it’s clear you're not at fault and the other party is insured, your excess may be waived or refunded once recovery has taken place.

What If the Other Driver Is Uninsured or Won’t Cooperate?

No problem — your insurer may still cover you subject to your policy terms and then pursue recovery. That’s one of the advantages of being properly insured. We’ll guide you through it professionally.