Your hands are shaking. Your car is sitting at an angle across the lane, and someone is already asking whether you’re OK. Nobody thinks clearly in the minutes after a crash, which is exactly why it helps to know the steps in advance.
This guide covers what to do at the scene, in the first few days and in the weeks after a car accident in Scotland. It looks at what the law requires and at what protects your health and any future claim.
Stop. You are legally required to, and it is the right thing to do.
If anyone is hurt or the road is blocked, call 999. Turn your hazard lights on, and get everyone out of the cars and behind the barrier if it is safe to do so. On a motorway such as the M8 or the Edinburgh City Bypass, standing beside your car is far more dangerous than the damage you’re looking at.
Once everyone is safe, move on to the information.
Under section 170 of the Road Traffic Act 1988, a driver involved in a collision that causes injury or damage must stop and give their name and address. They must also give the vehicle owner’s name and address and the registration number to anyone with reasonable grounds to ask.
If details aren’t exchanged at the scene, the accident must be reported to the police as soon as reasonably practicable, and in any case within 24 hours. Where someone has been injured, the driver must also produce their insurance certificate. If they can’t do so at the scene, they must take it to the police within seven days.
In Scotland, you can contact Police Scotland on 101 for non-emergencies.
Evidence collected in the first hour is often the most useful in the whole claim. If you’re able to, gather:
Don’t apologise or admit fault at the scene, even out of politeness. Stick to the facts.
Adrenaline masks pain. Whiplash, back injuries and concussion often don’t show their full effect until the next morning or later.
If you’re seriously hurt, the ambulance crew will take you to A&E. For anything less urgent, see your GP or call NHS 24 on 111, which runs day and night across Scotland. A medical record made soon after the accident is strong evidence that your injuries came from the crash.
Keep going to follow-up appointments, and keep your physiotherapy notes. Gaps in treatment are something insurers like to point at.
Tell your own insurer promptly, even if the crash wasn’t your fault. Most policies require it.
Be careful with the other driver’s insurer. It may phone with a quick offer before anyone knows how serious your injuries are. Once you accept, you can’t go back for more.
Start a file. Keep:
That diary often becomes the most persuasive document in a claim for solatium.
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Much of Scotland’s road network is rural, single-carriageway and a long way from help. A collision on the A9 north of Perth or on a Highland single-track road can leave you without phone signal and waiting a long time for police or recovery.
In that situation, the same rules apply, but write down landmarks or mile markers to fix the exact location. If a driver leaves the scene, note everything you can about the vehicle. Our guide to uninsured and hit-and-run claims explains what happens next.
Sooner than you’d expect. You have three years in Scotland to raise a court action, but evidence fades within days.
Most people claim on a no win, no fee basis through a Success Fee Agreement. If the claim fails, you pay no fee, and outlays such as medical report fees are not passed to you. If it succeeds, the success fee comes from your compensation. It is capped by law at 20% of the first £100,000, including VAT. The full picture is in our complete guide to car accident claims.
Only if details weren’t exchanged at the scene, or if someone was injured and insurance details weren’t produced. In those cases, report it within 24 hours.
If in doubt, get checked. Many injuries appear later, and an early record helps both your recovery and any claim.
Note the registration and report it to Police Scotland straight away.
Yes. Photos help, but medical records, witnesses and police reports can prove a claim on their own.
Not before you know the full extent of your injuries and losses. Early offers are often low.
Been in a car accident in Scotland? Call 0333 3051 337 or start your free claim check, and we’ll walk you through your next steps.
General information on Scots law, reviewed 04/Nov/2026. Not legal advice on your circumstances.
