A car accident is disorienting even when no one is hurt. Adrenaline is up, other drivers are impatient, and your brain is trying to process what just happened while simultaneously trying to do ten things at once. Most people freeze at the scene and then guess the rest — which often makes both the legal and insurance side of things harder than they need to be.
This is the exact sequence to follow. Save it. Share it with a family member. Hopefully you'll never need it.
At the scene: the first ten minutes
- Get safe first. Switch on your hazards, get out of moving traffic if possible, and check everyone involved for injuries. Call 10111 (police) or 10177 (ambulance) immediately if anyone is hurt.
- Call the police. Under South African law, you must report any accident where someone was injured or there is a dispute about what happened. For minor collisions with no injuries, you still need a case number for your insurance claim.
- Don't admit fault. Do not say sorry, it was my fault, or I didn't see you — even if you feel it was your fault. Fault is for your insurer and potentially a court to determine, not the roadside.
- Exchange information. Get the other driver's full name, ID number, contact number, vehicle registration, and the name of their insurer. Give yours in return.
- Photograph everything before you move. The damage to both cars, the position of the vehicles, road markings, traffic signs, skid marks, and the wider scene. Your phone's timestamp and GPS location are part of your evidence.
- Get witness details. If anyone stopped or saw what happened, ask for their name and number. An independent witness is often the difference between a disputed and an undisputed claim.
Within the hour: what to report and where
If the accident involved injuries, you are legally required to report it to the police within 24 hours if the police did not attend the scene. Do this at the nearest police station and get your case number in writing. Keep it — you will need it for your insurance claim and for a third-party claim against the Road Accident Fund (RAF) if you or a passenger was injured.
The Road Accident Fund covers injuries to third parties (including passengers and pedestrians) caused by the negligent driving of any vehicle in South Africa — including uninsured drivers. If you were injured and it wasn't your fault, you may have a claim regardless of whether the other driver had insurance.
Notifying your insurer: do it the same day
Most policies require you to notify your insurer as soon as reasonably possible after an accident. Waiting days or weeks can complicate your claim. Call your broker or the insurer's claims line the same day, even if you're not sure whether you'll claim.
When you call, have ready: your policy number, the case number from the police, the other party's details, your photos, and a clear account of what happened. Stick to the facts — where you were going, road conditions, what you saw, what happened. Your broker's job is to help you tell that story clearly and make sure nothing is left out that could affect your claim.
What happens next: the claims process
- Your insurer will open a claim and assign a claim number. Keep this number with you.
- They'll ask for a written statement and your supporting documents — photos, police case number, other party's details.
- An assessor will inspect the vehicle, either at your home, workplace, or a panel beater they direct you to.
- If your car is driveable, you may be asked to get a repair quote. If it's not, arrange a tow to a place of safety and notify your insurer immediately.
- If the damage is severe enough to write the car off (repair cost approaches or exceeds the insured value), your insurer will offer a settlement. You can negotiate this figure — your broker can help.
The things most people get wrong
Admitting fault at the scene is the most common mistake, followed closely by not taking photos before moving the cars. Equally damaging: signing anything the other driver hands you, accepting a cash settlement from an uninsured driver without getting it in writing, and waiting days before notifying your insurer. Each of these can reduce or complicate what you're owed.
A less obvious one: if you've had an accident, don't repair the car privately before your insurer sees it, even for cosmetic damage. An unassessed repair is an unclaimable one.
If the other driver has no insurance
South Africa has a high rate of uninsured drivers. If the other driver can't produce insurance details, you can still claim from your own comprehensive policy (your excess applies). You may also have grounds to pursue them personally, though in practice this is rarely worth the effort. If you were injured and they were at fault, the Road Accident Fund is your route regardless of whether they were insured.
Your broker's job doesn't start when you sign the policy — it starts the moment something goes wrong. If you've been in an accident, or you're not sure whether your current policy would actually protect you if you were, talk to us. We'll give you a straight answer on what you're covered for and how to handle a claim.
Want to make sure your cover is doing its job? Your Ample broker is one call away — straight-talking advice, no babble.
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