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Call Triple Zero (000)Accident guides
Written for the person who has just had a crash, not for a search engine. Every guide is checked against primary government and regulator sources, and shows when it was last reviewed.
At the scene
The first hour — safety, details, evidence.
What to do after a car accident in Australia
Check for injuries and move to safety before anything else, and call Triple Zero (000) if anyone is hurt or in danger. Once everyone is safe, exchange names, contact details, registration numbers and insurance details with the other driver, and photograph the scene before vehicles are moved. Then contact your insurer, and record everything you remember while it is fresh.
Car accident checklist
At the scene: check for injuries, make the area safe, exchange details, photograph everything and find witnesses. In the first 24 hours: contact your insurer, arrange towing or repairs if needed, and see a doctor if you have any symptoms. In the first week: lodge your claim, keep every receipt, and follow up anything the insurer has asked for.
What information to get after a car accident
Collect the other driver's full name, mobile number, address, licence number and licence state, plus the vehicle registration, make, model, colour, and their insurer and policy number. Also note whether they own the vehicle. If they refuse to provide details, photograph the registration plate and report the matter to police rather than pressing the issue.
What photos to take after a car accident
Take wide shots of both vehicles where they stopped before anything is moved, then close-ups of the damage to each vehicle, every registration plate, and the traffic signs, signals and lane markings that apply. Finish with road and weather conditions, skid marks and debris. Ten good photos taken in two minutes are worth more than any written statement later.
Fault
Who is responsible, and what that changes.
What if I am not at fault?
If another driver was responsible, you generally have two routes: claim on your own policy and let your insurer recover from theirs, or claim directly against the other party. Being not at fault often affects whether you pay an excess and whether replacement transport is available to you. Fault is assessed by the insurers on the evidence — not decided at the roadside.
What if I am at fault?
If you caused the accident, your comprehensive or third party property policy generally covers damage you caused to the other vehicle, and comprehensive also covers your own. You will usually pay an excess and may lose part of a no-claim discount. If you are uninsured, you may be personally liable for the other party's repair costs.
Not sure who is at fault?
Uncertainty is normal and it is not a problem you have to solve at the roadside. Record the facts accurately, avoid admitting or assigning blame, and let the insurers assess it. Your photographs, the physical damage pattern and any independent witness usually decide a disputed accident.
Hit by an uninsured driver
If you have comprehensive cover, claim on your own policy and let your insurer pursue the other driver. If you only have third party property cover, check your policy for an uninsured motorist provision, which sometimes covers a limited amount of damage caused by an identified uninsured driver. Otherwise, recovery means pursuing the other driver directly.
Your vehicle
Towing, repairs, write-offs and replacement transport.
What to do if your car is not driveable
Arrange a tow and make sure you know exactly where your vehicle is being taken and what it costs to store it there. You choose where your vehicle goes, not the first tow operator who arrives. Then tell your insurer the location, and sort out how you will get around while the vehicle is off the road.
Replacement vehicle after an accident
There are two common routes. If your policy includes a hire car benefit, your insurer arranges it regardless of fault, usually for a limited period and vehicle class. If another party was responsible, specialist accident replacement providers can supply a vehicle and recover the cost from that party. Both are commercial arrangements with terms worth reading before you accept the keys.
Car repairs after an accident
Your insurer assesses the damage, authorises a repairer and agrees a scope of works. Whether you can choose your own repairer depends on your policy. Repairs commonly take longer than first quoted because hidden damage appears once panels come off and parts can be slow. Inspect the vehicle carefully before you accept it back.
What happens if your car is written off
A vehicle is written off when repairing it is uneconomic or it is unsafe to repair. Your insurer pays either an agreed value or a market value, depending on your policy, and takes the vehicle. If you owe more on finance than the payout, you are still responsible for the shortfall unless you have gap cover.
Injury
Getting assessed and recording what matters.
What to do if you are injured in an accident
Get medically assessed even if symptoms seem mild, and tell the doctor it followed a motor accident so the connection is recorded from the beginning. Every state and territory has a compulsory third party scheme covering personal injury, and each has its own process and time limits. Keep a simple record of symptoms, treatment and time off work from day one.
Injured as a passenger in a car accident
As a passenger you are effectively never at fault, so you have a compulsory third party claim no matter which driver caused the accident — including when it was the driver of the car you were in. The compensation comes from that driver’s CTP insurer, not from the driver personally, so claiming does not cost your friend or your family member anything. There are short deadlines in every state, so lodge early even if you are still deciding what you want to do.
My child was injured in a car accident
You claim on your child’s behalf, and two different clocks are running. The time limit for starting court proceedings is generally extended for a child in most states, often until after they turn eighteen — but the scheme’s own notification deadline is short and is not extended. Notify the scheme now. Get them medically assessed even if they seem fine, and do not settle quickly: a child’s injuries can take years to show their full extent, and a settlement is final.
Insurance
Excess, claims and dealing with insurers.
Common accidents
Rear-end, lane change, roundabout, car park and more.
Hit and run: what to do
Record everything you can about the vehicle immediately — registration, make, colour, damage and direction of travel — then report it to police and get an event number. Look for witnesses and nearby cameras straight away, because footage is usually overwritten within days. Tell your insurer promptly; cover for an unidentified driver depends on your policy.
Rear-end accidents
The following driver is commonly found responsible in a rear-end collision, because drivers are expected to keep enough distance to stop safely. It is not automatic, though — brake lights that were not working, a sudden unnecessary stop, a reversing vehicle or a multi-car chain can all change the assessment. Photograph the damage and note the sequence carefully.
Lane change and merging accidents
A driver changing lanes is generally expected to give way to vehicles already in the lane, so the changing driver often carries responsibility. Merging where lanes end works differently — the rules there turn on which lane is ending and relative position. Where the damage sits on each vehicle is usually the decisive evidence.
Roundabout accidents
Drivers entering a roundabout are generally required to give way to vehicles already on it, so an entering driver often carries responsibility. Multi-lane roundabouts produce a second common dispute: a vehicle exiting across another lane. Note which entry each vehicle used, which lane each was in, and where the impact landed.
Car park accidents
Car park collisions are handled like any other: exchange details, photograph everything and notify your insurer. Fault often turns on who was reversing and who was travelling in the aisle. Ask the centre management to preserve CCTV the same day, because it is usually overwritten quickly.
Someone hit your parked car
Photograph the damage and the position of your car before moving it, and look immediately for witnesses and nearby cameras. If a note was left, verify the details straight away. If not, report it to police and to your insurer — cover for an unidentified driver depends on your policy, and an excess may apply.
More guides are coming
Crash Guide is publishing a considered library rather than a thousand near-identical pages. Each new guide is researched, sourced and reviewed before it goes up.