A car accident is one of the most unpleasant things a driver can face. Adrenaline, nerves, uncertainty. Knowing exactly what to do in the first 30 minutes saves you hundreds of hours of paperwork — and a possible dispute with your insurer.

Step 1 — safety first

First make sure you and everyone in the car are OK. Turn on hazard lights, step out wearing a reflective vest (required by Czech law), place a warning triangle at least 50 metres behind the car (100 m on highways).

If there are injuries or imminent danger, call 155 (ambulance) and 158 (police). Health first.

Step 2 — when you must call police

You MUST call police if:

For a small collision (parking bump, minor scrape) between you two without injuries, a Record of Road Accident is enough — the European form you should have in your car.

Step 3 — photo report (most important thing)

Pull out your phone and shoot. A lot. The more the better:

Photograph even if you think it's unnecessary. Three weeks later, when the insurer asks questions, you'll be glad to have 40 photos instead of 3.

Step 4 — Record of Road Accident

Fill out the Record of Road Accident with the other driver (both parties keep a copy — that's why the form is duplicate). Key points:

Never sign what you don't agree with. If the other driver claims you're at fault and you don't think so, sign only facts (that an accident occurred), not fault. That's dealt with later.

Step 5 — report the claim to the insurer

You must report the claim within 15 days of the accident, but don't wait that long. Ideally the same day — by phone, website or app. For reporting you'll need:

Step 6 — contact your advisor

If you have an advisor, call them now. They know your policy, know what's covered and what isn't, and help you with insurer communication. Clients handling this alone often get lower payouts because they don't know what to insist on.

If I'm your advisor, call me after an accident at +420 721 606 556. I'll help with claim submission, paperwork and negotiation.

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Or save it printed in your glovebox. An accident always comes unexpectedly and in that moment you'll have adrenaline in your head, not a structured process. A paper with steps helps more than you'd think.