Car Crash Self-Help Checklist

After a crash, it often comes down to one word against another — and evidence settles it. This is a one-page checklist to print, save, or send to your family: 5 crucial steps at the scene, plus 6 keys to a smooth claim. One line each. It is distilled from our full traffic accident claims guide ; items marked "police advice" restate what Hong Kong police publicly urged in 2026 (see our crash-for-cash article for the attributed reports).

5 steps at the scene (every step is evidence)

• Safety first. If anyone is injured, call 999 for an ambulance immediately; move vehicles only if safe, switch on hazard lights, place the warning triangle; do not move a seriously injured person unless there is immediate danger.
• Report to the police. Where the accident involves personal injury, or vehicle damage with the other party absent, the law requires an immediate report to the police or the nearest station. The Traffic Accident Report the police prepare is key evidence for any claim. For suspicious incidents (such as a suspected deliberate collision), police have also publicly urged prompt reporting.
• Secure your dashcam footage. Police advice: keep the dashcam working, and preserve footage and evidence immediately after any suspicious incident. Dashcams overwrite — lock or back up the clip before you leave the scene.
• Photograph everything. Vehicle positions, both cars' damage, road surface, traffic signals, road markings, the other car's plate — multiple angles and distances.
• Exchange particulars. The other driver's name, HKID number, phone, address, driving licence, registration, insurer and policy number. Note witnesses' names and numbers on the spot — they are near-impossible to find later.

6 keys to your claim

• You are under no obligation to settle in cash at the scene. The law does not require on-the-spot payment or settlement — you are entitled to ask for the police to attend, and police have publicly urged prompt reporting of suspicious incidents. Everything you say at the scene can become evidence later, so stay calm and factual and don't reach conclusions about fault there and then. Equally, you are under no obligation to sign any admission or settlement document at the scene.
• See a doctor the same day or the next, even if you feel fine. Whiplash-type soft-tissue symptoms can surface days later; the first consultation record is critical claim evidence.
• Notify your own insurer. Many policies require notice within a set period (commonly 7 days); late notice can prejudice your rights. Notification is not an admission of liability.
• Remember the 3-year limitation period. Personal injury claims generally must be brought within 3 years of the accident (6 years for property damage). "Dealing with it later" is how rights get lost.
• Other vehicle uninsured, hit-and-run, or untraceable? A claim may still be possible through the MIB — the Motor Insurers' Bureau is the payer of last resort for personal injury compensation (not vehicle damage).
• Assistance you can apply for without proving fault. The Social Welfare Department's Traffic Accident Victims Assistance Scheme (Traffic Accident Victims (Assistance Fund) Ordinance, Cap. 229) is no-fault — whoever caused the accident, you may apply as long as it was reported to police. The application deadline is 6 months from the accident. For accidents on or after 28 June 2025, the Compassionate Grant pays $330/day for up to 60 days of sick leave, requiring hospitalization or certified sick leave of at least 7 days (registered doctor or registered Chinese medicine practitioner), claimable once every two years; burial, death and disability grants are separate. Applying does not affect your civil claim, but assistance generally must be repaid if you later recover compensation. (Note: defrauding the scheme is a criminal offence under the Theft Ordinance (Cap. 210), maximum 14 years' imprisonment on conviction.)

Documents you will need for a claim

• The Traffic Accident Report number (from the police report)
• Dashcam footage and scene photographs
• The other party's particulars, insurance details, and witness contacts
• All medical records, sick-leave certificates and receipts, from the first consultation on
• Repair quotations/invoices and transport expense receipts
• All correspondence with insurers

Where to go from here

• The full legal framework (insurance system, compensatable items, contributory negligence, procedure): traffic accident claims guide
• What courts actually awarded in real cases: Real Cases: Traffic Accident Compensation
• Suspect a staged accident: crash-for-cash article
• Traffic Accident Victims Assistance Scheme (official SWD page): swd.gov.hk
• Have an accident report, insurer letter or other document you want explained? The free AI tool on our home page explains your document in 30 seconds; free matching with Hong Kong solicitors is also available.