What do I have to do after a car accident?
After an accident, keep calm, secure the accident site with hazard warning lights, high-visibility waistcoat and warning triangle, make an emergency call, provide first aid, record witnesses and personal details, document the situation in detail with photos/sketches and - depending on the severity - call the police.
Afterwards, you should not leave the claims settlement to the opposing insurance company alone, but should involve an independent settlement specialist such as fairforce.one at an early stage, who will check your claims, take over the complete settlement and usually settle its costs directly with the insurance company.
We have summarised how you should proceed in detail in this article.
Tip 1: First steps after the accident
What should be done after an accident - and in what order?
1. the most important commandment is Maintain calm & overview. An accident is an unwanted challenge for your organisational skills.
2 First secure the accident site. To do this, switch off the Hazard warning lights to avoid rear-end collisions and to make your vehicle visible. Then pull out your Safety waistcoat and then set the Warning triangle up. In urban areas, walk 50 metres in front of the accident site, outside urban areas 100 metres and on the motorway 200 metres. The triangle allows following road users to see the scene of the accident in good time and adjust their driving behaviour.
NoteAccording to Section 34 (1) No. 2 of the German Road Traffic Regulations (StVO), you are obliged to make traffic safe after an accident. This includes the three Ws "Hazard warning lights, safety waistcoat, warning triangle". You are obliged to carry a high-visibility waistcoat and warning triangle. If you do not set up a warning triangle, you may be penalised with a hefty fine and a point in Flensburg.
If you have a warning triangle with you but forget to put it up and a subsequent accident occurs as a result, you may be held partly responsible for the subsequent accident!
3. now immediately select the Emergency call by dialling 112 and paying attention to the 5 W questions:
- Where is the accident?
- What has happened?
- How how many people are injured? For children: How old?
- Which Type of injury?
- Waiting You on queries!
4. now perform First aid. If several people can help, split up: One person calls the emergency services. The other people provide first aid at the same time. If you are injured, take care of yourself and then help the others involved in the accident.
5 If the emergency services have arrived or if there are no casualties, look for possible injuries now. Witnesses.
6. exchange the most important information with the other party Personal details.
7. contact the police if necessaryso that the accident is recorded with a diary number.
Note: You are responsible for clearing away broken glass and broken sheet metal. The fire brigade will only do this in the event of serious accidents. Then take your damaged vehicle to the nearest garage or have it towed there.
Get in touch with us as soon as possible. We will support you from start to finish with our proven expertise. You will be relieved and receive what you are entitled to.
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Tip 2: Exchange of information
If you and the other party involved in the accident Personal details then pay attention to the following information:
- Full name
- address
- Licence plate
- Insurance of the other party involved in the accident
If the other party in the accident has already admitted their fault, have them confirm this informally in writing on a piece of paper. You yourself never make an admission of guilt at the scene of the accident!
After an accident, the question also arises as to whether you can use the Police should be called to record the damage. In any case, call the officers in the event of an accident involving a hire or company car or in the event of major property damage, injured persons or suspected criminal offences such as drink-driving or hit-and-run. Find out more tips and expertise on the subject of accidents and the police here.
Don't hit and run! Even in the case of a supposedly unimportant parking bump, a note on the windscreen is not enough. Find out when you are allowed to leave the scene of the accident and how best to proceed to avoid a hit and run here.
NoteDo not change the scene of the accident until the police arrive and do not make any admissions of guilt. Immediately after an accident, it is usually not possible to gain a complete overview of the situation and an admission of guilt will have a negative impact on you in the further course of the accident.
If it Eyewitnesses If there are people who saw the accident, speak to them and make a note of their names and contact details.
Tip 3: Document the accident
Photography the accident. Make sure you take overview and detail pictures. It is better to take too many pictures than too few.
The following points should be clearly recognisable in the photos:
- Damage to the vehicles
- Skid marks on the road, splinter marks around the vehicles
- Accident location including all vehicles involved, intersections, roads, traffic signs and also trees or other obstacles, if these have anything to do with the accident.
- Licence plate number of the other party
Then prepare a Accident sketch preferably at the scene of the accident or, if possible, at home while the details of the accident are still fresh in your mind. Pay particular attention to the course of the road, signs, positions and driving directions of the vehicles involved. You can also fill out the European Accident Report, which belongs in every glove compartment. Here you can download and print it.
ImportantYou and the other party involved in the accident then sign the accident report.
Trivial but important: Don't forget to note the licence plate number! Also have a look at the Vehicle registration document and the Driving licence of the opposing driver and note down the relevant data from the documents. Look out for anomalies: Is the TÜV expired? Does the other party smell of alcohol or show signs of being unfit to drive? Is he wearing Glasses? (read here why this is important) Wait for the police to arrive if he is uncooperative.
Tip 4: Communication with the insurance company
After the accident, the Claims settlement or to put it simply: you need to clarify the reimbursement of your damages with the other party's insurance company. The first step, of course, is to find out who the other party's insurance company is.
For fairforce.one customers, this process of finding the right insurer is free of charge.
NoteClaims settlement refers to the entire process of handling and settling claims. The damage is first claimed from the other party's liability insurance. Then the compensation is paid to the injured party. A decisive factor for the amount of your compensation is the determination of the apportionment of fault, because this is where it is determined who has to pay how much of the damage. Find out more about the claims settlement process here.
You don't want to bother with formalities and accident-related expenses? Do you want to avoid reductions in benefits and ensure the best possible reimbursement for you? Then do it like our satisfied customers and benefit from the advantages of an independent regulatory specialist.
After you have reported your accident to fairforce.one by telephone or simply online, certified traffic law experts will examine your claims arising from the accident. Our specially developed platform ensures communication between all parties involved in claims management - from the insurance company to the assessor to the lawyer. And the best thing about it: you can sit back and easily track the current status of your claims settlement via our HIS (customer information system) - conveniently and up-to-date via smartphone or PC.
Accident victims in your situation simply get the best support from fairforce.one.
Depending on the cause of the accident, customers receive an average of €4802 Additional payment
Callback within 5 minutes.
Tip 5: The right steps for fair claims settlement
A clear recommendation for accident victims like you: utilise the advantages of fairforce.one.
We take care of the entire accident handling process and help you to achieve the best possible claims settlement through our independent and competent network of certified traffic law specialists.
Our tipThe sooner you get in touch with us, the sooner we can help you. What do you need to do now? In just a few minutes, you can report your accident to us directly online or by calling the free service number 0800 - 30 111 60.
A specialist from the fairforce.one network will contact you by telephone in the shortest possible time. The next steps will be discussed and agreed with you personally and individually. From A for towing to Z for payment, you will receive competent support. And the best thing is: as the injured party, you don't pay a cent yourself. The support provided by a settlement specialist is part of your claim for compensation and we settle directly with the insurance company after successful settlement.
Frequently asked questions about car accidents
What is the first thing I have to do immediately after an accident?
Keep calm and immediately secure the accident site with hazard warning lights, high-visibility waistcoat and warning triangle. Only then call the emergency number 112 and provide first aid.
What data should I exchange with the other party involved in the accident?
Make a note of the full name, address, licence plate number and insurance of the other party involved in the accident. Never make an admission of guilt even at the scene of the accident.
How do I document an accident correctly for the insurance company?
Take general and detailed photos of vehicles, damage, traces and surroundings and make an accident sketch. Make a note of the number plate, vehicle registration/driver's licence details and contact details of witnesses.
Why should I call in an independent regulatory specialist after an accident?
An independent settlement specialist such as fairforce.one checks your claims, handles all communication with the insurance company and helps to avoid reductions. As the injured party, you generally do not incur any costs, as settlement is made directly with the liability insurance company.
