Vehicle Accident and Claim Record

Who this is for

One sheet per incident, from the roadside to the settled claim. The list covers what to gather at the scene; the first table holds the other drivers, their insurers and the witnesses, and the second a dated line for every call and letter.

Any driver after a collision, however small, and anyone helping a family member through a claim who needs the story in one place rather than across a phone, a notepad and three envelopes.

What this helps you track

• What was gathered at the scene, and what was not
• The other drivers, their vehicles, their insurers and the damage seen
• Witnesses, on their own rows, with a name and a way to reach them
• Every contact with the insurer or the other side, dated, with the reference
• What was agreed, what is outstanding and where the photographs are kept

How to use it

1. Work down the scene list at the roadside if you can, or as soon as you are somewhere safe.
2. Fill in the vehicle, driver, date and location at the top, and your own insurer and claim reference once you have one.
3. Record each other party on its own row: name, role, contact, vehicle and registration, insurer and policy, and the damage you could see.
4. Take witness names and numbers before people leave, on rows of their own; a witness you cannot reach is not a witness.
5. Log every call, letter and email in the claim table with the date, who you spoke to and what was said or agreed.
6. Keep photographs, receipts and any police or incident reference with the sheet, and note in the last column where they are.

Formats

• Printable PDF (A4 and US Letter)
• Fillable PDF with form fields
• Fill in online, saved in your browser

The printable is laid out inside a box that fits both A4 and US Letter, so the two files are identical and neither one is scaled. The fillable PDF has real form fields. The online version keeps what you enter in your own browser and builds the completed PDF on your device.

How to print

Download the A4 or US Letter file to match the paper in your printer, open it in a PDF reader and print at 100% — not "fit to page", which shrinks the writing space. Both files leave a 14 mm margin, which clears the unprintable edge on home printers. To print the online version with your entries in it, use the Print this sheet button, which prints only the sheet and none of the page around it. More on printing.

Questions

What should I photograph?

Both vehicles from several angles, the damage close up, the whole scene showing the road layout and any signs or markings, and the registrations. Take more than you think you need; you cannot go back.

Do I have to report it to anyone?

What has to be reported, to whom and how quickly is set by the rules where you are and by your own policy. The sheet has rows for any reference you are given; check the requirements locally and with your insurer.

Should I say whose fault it was?

Write what you saw and what was said rather than a conclusion. The sheet is a record of facts and contacts; deciding liability is a matter for the insurers and, if it comes to it, for lawyers.

Can I use it for a car park scrape with no other driver present?

Yes. Fill in the scene details and leave the other-party rows for whatever you can find — a note left on the windscreen, a shop's camera, a witness who saw it.