Right after a crash: the first hour

• Make the scene safe and check everyone is okay. Call 000 if anyone is injured or trapped.
• Exchange names, phone numbers, licence details, rego, insurer and policy numbers.
• Photograph every vehicle, both plates, the damage, the road layout and any skid marks.
• Note witnesses and ask whether anyone has dashcam footage.
• Don't admit fault. Insurers decide liability — a roadside apology can cost you.
• If a vehicle is towed, report the crash to the Police Assistance Line on 131 444. A minor crash with no injury and no tow doesn't need a police report.

Police reporting rules: NSW Police Force and Service NSW, checked October 2026.

If it wasn't your fault, you have options

In NSW, when another driver causes a crash, the repair and a replacement vehicle are generally recoverable from their insurer. You don't have to lodge with your own insurer, and you shouldn't have to pay an excess for someone else's mistake.

Liability is decided by insurers, not by police and not by who apologised at the scene. That's why the photos, the other driver's details and a short written account matter more than anything said on the day.

Questions people actually ask

Do I have to use my own insurer?

No. If you're not at fault you can deal with the at-fault party's insurer directly. Many people prefer it that way — it keeps their own policy and excess untouched.

Will this push my premium up?

A not-at-fault claim is made against the other driver's insurer rather than yours, so it generally doesn't sit against your policy the way an at-fault claim would.

What if the other driver is uninsured or won't cooperate?

It happens. We look at what's recoverable in your circumstances and tell you honestly before you commit to anything.