What to do in the first hours after a road accident

A road accident is disorienting — adrenaline, shock, people gathering, and a dozen decisions at once. Knowing the order to do things in beforehand helps you stay safe and, later, protects any claim you might need to make. Most of it is common sense; the value is in having it clear before you ever need it.

At the scene

1. Safety first — get yourself and others out of traffic if you can, and put on hazard lights.
2. Get medical help for anyone hurt — call for an ambulance; injuries come before everything else.
3. Inform the police. A police record of the accident matters enormously if there's a claim later.
4. Note the details — the other vehicle's number, the driver's and owner's details, insurance, and the names and numbers of any witnesses.
5. Take photos — the vehicles, the positions, the road, the damage, any injuries.

Afterwards

• Tell your insurer promptly — most policies require quick notice.
• Keep every document — the police report, medical bills and records, repair estimates, and your own notes of what happened.
• Don't sign or agree to anything under pressure at the scene, especially about fault or a quick cash settlement.

When it's more than the paperwork

If anyone was seriously hurt or died, that moves well beyond first-aid-and-forms — there may be a compensation claim worth real support, and that's a matter to take further.

Shaken and not sure what to do next? Tell Miss Lucy Lite what happened and she'll walk you through the steps calmly.