After a crash
What should I do after a car accident that wasn't my fault?
Make sure everyone is safe, swap details, photograph everything before anything moves, and do not admit fault. Tell your own insurer you have had an accident (that is not claiming from them). Do not accept a repair or a payment from the other driver's insurer until the damage has been independently assessed. Then call us on 0818 294 336 and we take it from there.
1. Safety first
Put your hazard lights on. If the cars are blocking the road and it is safe to move them, move them; otherwise leave them where they are and get everyone to a safe place. If anyone is hurt, call 999 or 112.
You must stop and stay at the scene for a reasonable time. If a Garda is not there, you must report the accident to a Garda nearby or at a Garda station as soon as possible.
Source: Citizens Information, "Motor vehicle collisions" (updated 13 October 2025).
2. Swap details
Get the other driver's name, address, phone number, vehicle registration and insurer, and give yours. If there are witnesses, take their names and numbers. If a Garda attends, note their name and station.
Write down what happened while it is fresh: the time, the place, the weather, what each car was doing. Sign and date it.
Source: Citizens Information, "Motor vehicle collisions"; Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, "Making a car insurance claim".
3. Do not admit fault
Even to be polite. Do not say sorry for the crash, do not sign anything at the scene, and do not agree a figure with the other driver. Say what happened and leave it there. The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission's advice is the same: "Do not admit fault at the scene."
4. Photograph everything before anything moves
Your phone is fine. Take these ten shots. They become the evidence that the assessor and the insurer work from, and they cost you two minutes.
- Three wide shots showing both cars where they stopped, and the road.
- Three close-ups of the damage to your car.
- The VIN plate (usually at the base of the windscreen or inside the driver's door).
- The odometer, showing the mileage.
- The wheels and under the bumper, where damage hides.
- The other car, with its registration plate in the frame.
If you cannot take them all, take what you can. The wide shots and the other car's registration matter most.
5. Let your own insurer know, when you get a chance
Most policies make it a condition that you tell your insurer about any accident, even one you are not claiming for. So make the call when you get a chance. It is not a claim, it does not use your policy, and it does not slow anything down: we carry on regardless.
Source: Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, "Making a car insurance claim": "Notify your insurer as soon as possible, even if you do not plan to claim."
6. Do not accept a repair or a payment yet
The other driver's insurer may ring within a day or two and offer to repair your car at their approved garage, or offer a sum of money. You do not have to decide on the spot. When you claim directly against the other driver's insurer you are not tied to their approved garage, and you can have the damage assessed independently before you decide. Read this before you say yes to their garage.
7. Call us
Call 0818 294 336, any hour. We take your details, read them back, and tell you exactly what happens next. If you would rather send the photos first, WhatsApp them to 083 448 3732 and we will call you.
Two honest limits. Our service is for crashes where the other driver is identified, insured and at fault. If the other driver was uninsured or drove off, the Motor Insurers' Bureau of Ireland is the usual route, and we will tell you so. If anyone was injured, that part is for a solicitor. We do not handle injury.