Check to make sure that there are no injuries. If someone is hurt, call for help first before trying to get their information. Get the other driver’s license. Write down their name, home address, birth date, and gender. You’ll also want the name of the state that issued their license, their license number, and the date it expires. Give them this information for yourself as well. If the other driver does not have insurance or identification, call the police. Tell the police that you cannot get the required legal documents of the other driver. They will come out and handle the situation.
Write down specifics about where there is damage. For example, you might say “Sedan has broken bumper and dent in the rear quarter panel. " Take down the license tag number for all the vehicles, along with the name of the state. You also might want to make note of the vehicle’s VINs (vehicle identification numbers) for insurance purposes.
If you get their phone number, make a note of when is the best time to reach them at that number.
Take your photos as soon as possible after the accident occurs, so the light and weather conditions are similar. Photograph the scene from multiple angles if it is possible for you to do this safely. You also might want to take pictures of all the people involved in the accident. These can be helpful later if someone claims an injury later when they seemed fine at the scene. If you were injured, take pictures of your injuries as soon as possible – ideally, before they are treated by a medical professional.
It’s best to get a statement from a witness at the scene, and then get their phone number in case you need to follow up with them later. Many witnesses won’t come forward after the accident. If possible, take a video or audio recording on your phone of their statement. Write down exactly where they were when the accident occurred. If possible, take pictures of the scene from where they were standing, so you have an image of their vantage point. If there are any signs, posts, trees, or other objects obscuring their line of sight, make a note of those as well.
You’ll also need the same information for any other drivers who were involved in the accident. If there were passengers or pedestrians also involved in the accident, provide their names, ages, and genders. Get numbers of first-responder vehicles and the names and badge numbers of first responders, if possible.
Your city or state may have a specific form for you to fill out that includes spaces for specific details, such as the weather, light, and road conditions. If you don’t remember the conditions and weren’t able to take any photos, leave these details blank – don’t just guess or look up an old weather report. You need to be able to vouch for every detail included in your report. Provide any photos or videos you have showing the conditions at the time of the accident to support your case.
For example, if the accident occurred on the interstate, you would need to note the name and direction of the interstate as well as the mile markers or any exits before and after the accident. Include the estimated distance from the nearest marker. On city streets, you also might want to include any landmarks. Describe the street, including whether there is a sidewalk or bike lane. If any other property was involved, describe it as well as where it is relative to the street.
For example, suppose the other driver rolled through an intersection and hit the side of your car while you had the right of way. You can say that you had the right of way – that’s a fact. However, a statement such as “the other driver wasn’t paying attention” would be an opinion. If there are gaps in your memory or specific details you don’t remember, state in your report that you don’t remember. That way you can fill in the detail later if your memory returns. If there were pedestrians involved, describe what they were doing. For example, the pedestrian may have been crossing the street in the sidewalk, or may have run out in traffic to retrieve something.
You also might want to describe where they were located relative to the scene of the accident and what they saw. For example, the person may have been standing on the corner waiting to cross the street when the accident happened, or they may have come over afterward. If you managed to get a video or recording of the witness, include it in your report. If the witness doesn’t come forward, this recording can act as evidence instead.
If you or anyone else called 911, give an approximate time that call took place and describe who showed up at the scene. If paramedics arrived, discuss whether anyone was treated at the scene or transported to a hospital for further treatment.
Provide a rough estimate of property damage or damage to vehicles involved in the crash. You should state specifically if you believe a vehicle to be totaled. If there were any fatalities as a result of the accident, list them separately. Include the name, age, and gender of anyone injured, and classify the severity of their injuries as best you can. Describe where on the body the injury was located and the person’s role in the accident. If they were immediately transported to a hospital, provide the name of the hospital where they were taken.
Just stick to the specific road or other area where the accident took place. There’s no need to include adjoining blocks or side streets if they weren’t directly involved in the accident. Make sure you have the correct number of lanes and that any traffic lights or signs are marked correctly.
For example, suppose the accident occurred at an intersection. You were heading north, while the other car was headed west. Draw an arrow for the cars to indicate the direction in which they’re traveling, and write out each of the directions along the four sides of your drawing.
If there were other cars nearby that weren’t involved in the accident, you can still draw boxes for them if you want, but don’t worry about getting too detailed. Other cars are only really important to the extent that they affected the ability of you or the other driver to avoid the accident.
If the speed the cars were traveling is in dispute, make a note of this on your report, but keep your reported facts objective. If you thought the driver of the other car was going faster than they claimed they were going, simply say it appeared they were going one speed, but they claim they were going another speed.
If they were in another vehicle but were not involved in the accident, draw a box to represent their vehicle and put their “X” inside. Note if they were a passenger or driver of the vehicle, and where they were seated. If a witness’s view was partially obstructed, include whatever obstructed their view in your diagram.
After you sign and date your accident report, make a copy of it for your records before you submit it to the relevant authorities. Generally you want to submit your accident report as soon as possible after the accident occurred. Check with the company or department where you need to send your report and find out if there’s a deadline you must meet.
