What to Do After a Road Accident in Pakistan

Call 1122 first, and do it before anything is moved. Rescue 1122 is the emergency service across most of Pakistan, and an ambulance called in the first minute is worth more than every other decision on this page combined. Everything else, the photographs, the police, the insurance, can be done afterwards.

What follows assumes nobody is seriously hurt, or that help is already on its way. If someone is injured, treat this page as irrelevant until the medical situation is handled.

The first ten minutes

1. Call 1122 if anyone is hurt, and say clearly where you are.
2. Switch on hazard lights and make the scene visible to traffic behind you.
3. Do not move an injured person unless leaving them is more dangerous.
4. Photograph the vehicles where they stopped, before anything is moved.
5. Only then move vehicles out of the traffic lane if they can be moved.

The order of the last two matters. Once vehicles are moved, the physical evidence of what happened is gone, and it is the position of the vehicles that answers most arguments about who did what.

What to photograph, while it is still there

Take more than you think you need and take it quickly, because crowds gather and vehicles get moved by people trying to help. Photograph the other driver's licence rather than writing the number down, since a photograph cannot be misremembered.

Exchange details, and stay calm doing it

Get the other driver's name, CNIC number, mobile number, vehicle registration number and, if the vehicle is insured, the insurer and policy number. Give yours in return.

An argument at the roadside settles nothing and occasionally turns into something worse. If the other party is hostile, or a crowd is forming, prioritise your own safety, keep the photographs, and let the police deal with the rest. Nothing at a roadside is worth being hurt over.

When the police need to be involved

Where there is injury, a death, a hit and run, a serious dispute about fault, or a claim you intend to make on insurance, get the police involved and get the report. A private settlement at the roadside can be sensible for a scratch, and unwise for anything more.

Ask what documentation exists and how to obtain a copy, because an insurer will ask for it. If a case is registered, you can check its status, and our guides to checking an FIR in Islamabad and Sindh show that lookup.

Note also that a settlement agreed under pressure at a roadside is not the same as a considered one. If a large sum is being demanded on the spot, that is a moment to involve the police rather than to pay.

Claiming on insurance

Report the accident to your insurer promptly, because policies generally require notification within a short window and a late report is an easy reason to reject a claim. Do that even if you have not decided whether to claim.

Have ready your policy number, the date, time and location, the photographs, the other party's details and the police documentation if any exists. Do not authorise repairs before you know whether the insurer wants to inspect the vehicle first, since repairing away the evidence can cost you the claim.

If a claim is refused and you believe it should not have been, that is a consumer dispute, and our guide to consumer court complaints covers that route.

Check the other vehicle afterwards

Once things are calm, verify the vehicle registration you were given. A registration that does not match the vehicle, or details that do not match the person, changes what you are dealing with and is worth knowing before you rely on a promise to pay.

Our guide to verifying a vehicle across provinces covers the check, and it takes minutes.

Common questions after a road accident

Should I move my car out of the road?

Photograph the positions first, then move it if it is drivable and blocking traffic. The photographs preserve what moving destroys.

Do I have to involve the police?

For injury, death, hit and run, a serious fault dispute or an insurance claim, yes. For minor damage settled between the parties, often not.

What if the other driver drives off?

Get whatever you can, the registration number, the make, the direction, and any witness details, then report it. Photographs of the scene still matter.

How quickly must I tell my insurer?

Promptly, and check your own policy for the notification window. Late notification is a common and avoidable reason for refusal.

Can I repair the car first and claim later?

Ask the insurer before repairing. Many will want to inspect, and repairing first can undermine the claim.

Last checked and sources

Last checked 26 August 2026. Rescue 1122 as the emergency number across most of Pakistan, and the general shape of police involvement and insurance notification, are described here from how these services are commonly documented rather than read by us on an official page on that date. Policy conditions differ between insurers and between products, so your own policy wording governs your claim and not this page. This is general information and not legal advice. Where there is injury or death, or a case is registered against you, take legal advice rather than relying on a guide.