What to Do After a Non-Fault Accident: A Step-by-Step Guide

The first hour after a crash sets the tone for everything that follows. Get the basics right and the next few weeks are calm, fair, and straightforward. Miss them, and you end up chasing details that should have been captured at the roadside.

This is a plain English walkthrough. No legalese, no scare tactics. Just what to do, in order, so you keep your right to a like-for-like replacement vehicle and a quick settlement.

Step 1. Stop, breathe, and check everyone is safe

Pull over as soon as it is safe. Put your hazards on. Check yourself and your passengers for injuries before you look at the car.

If anyone is hurt, or the road is blocked, call 999. If the other driver is uninsured, refuses to give details, or behaves aggressively, call 101 once everyone is safe. You will need the incident reference number later.

Do not move the vehicles until you have photos, unless they are causing a hazard.

Step 2. Capture the scene

Modern claims live or die on the evidence you capture in the first ten minutes. Take your time here, because you cannot recreate it later.

A useful checklist:

• Photos of every angle of both vehicles, including the damage and the undamaged sides
• Wide shots showing the position of the cars on the road, with road markings and signage in frame
• Number plates of every vehicle involved
• Skid marks, debris, and any traffic lights that were in play
• Dash cam footage, if you have it. Save it before the device overwrites it

Note the date, time, weather, and the direction you were both travelling. Two lines in your phone notes is enough.

Step 3. Swap details properly

You are legally required to exchange names, addresses, and insurance details after any accident involving damage or injury. Get:

• Driver's full name and address
• Phone number and email
• Insurance company and policy number, if they have it
• Vehicle registration, make, and model
• Name of the registered keeper if it is not the driver

If they will not give you details, do not get into a row. Photograph their number plate, log the time, and walk away. The police can trace the keeper from the plate.

Step 4. Look for witnesses

Anyone who saw the crash, even from a distance, is worth a name and number. Independent witnesses settle disputes faster than any amount of paperwork. If there is a shop, a bus stop, or houses nearby, knock on doors before you leave. Ask if they have CCTV pointing at the road.

Step 5. Report the accident

You have a few calls to make, in this order.

1. Your insurer, within 24 hours where possible. You are reporting the incident, not making a fault claim. Use the phrase "non-fault" and ask them to log it as such.
2. A credit hire provider, if you need a replacement vehicle. This is where PurpleSquare Hire steps in. We assign a dedicated handler, deliver a like-for-like replacement, and recover the costs from the at-fault insurer. You pay nothing upfront.
3. Your GP or A&E, if you have any pain, headache, or stiffness, even mild. Whiplash often shows up the day after.

Keep every receipt linked to the accident. Recovery, taxis, prescriptions, time off work. They all matter when the claim is settled.

Step 6. Protect your right to a replacement vehicle

This is the bit most people get wrong. If your car is undriveable or being repaired, you have a legal right to a like-for-like replacement while it is off the road. Not a small hatchback if you drive a van. Not a manual if you have a back condition.

To protect that right:

• Call a credit hire provider as soon as you know the car is off the road
• Be honest about your need for hire. Are you using the car for work, the school run, medical appointments? Write it down
• Do not let the at-fault insurer push you into a courtesy car that is not equivalent to yours. Their job is to keep the bill down. Yours is to stay mobile

A good provider will explain the GTA (General Terms of Agreement), confirm the daily rate, and keep you updated as the claim progresses. If anyone asks you to sign something you do not understand, stop and ask.

Step 7. Keep one clean record

Open a folder on your phone or laptop and drop everything in it. Photos, the police reference, repair quotes, hire agreements, GP notes, receipts. One place. Date it.

When the claim is being settled, the side with the clean record wins the argument every time.

The PurpleSquare promise

You will speak to a real handler in seconds, not a queue. We will deliver a like-for-like replacement vehicle, anywhere in mainland UK, and manage the recovery directly with the at-fault insurer. One number. One named contact. From first call to settlement.

If you have just had a non-fault accident, call 01606 662300 or email claims@psqhire.co.uk. We answer Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm, with after-hours support.

The faster you act, the smoother everything that follows.