Car accident in Belgium: what to do?

A crumpled panel, a shot of adrenaline, and suddenly no idea what order to do things in. In Belgium, the steps after a car accident actually come down to a few reflexes: make safe, document, report within 8 days. Here is the full timeline, from the first hit of the brakes to compensation, including when the other driver has vanished.

What to do in the first minutes after an accident?

Make safe first, document second. Switch off the engine, put on your hi-vis jacket before getting out, place the warning triangle at a good distance and move passengers behind the crash barrier. Check for injuries and call 112 if there are any. Protecting people always comes before paperwork.

These steps are not just prudent advice: the reflective jacket and the triangle are compulsory in every vehicle registered in Belgium, and failing to use them after an accident exposes you to a fine. Once the area is safe, you can note the useful information without risking a second crash.

In practice, on a motorway, never stay in the running lane to talk or fill in the form: cross the safety barrier. That is the classic mistake that turns a 30 km/h knock into a tragedy. Then take photos of the vehicle positions, the damage and the signage before clearing the carriageway.

Paper accident form or Crashform: which to use?

Both carry the same weight, so choose based on what you have to hand. The European accident statement, in paper form or via the Crashform app, is used to describe the circumstances and settle liability between insurers. The front must be filled in and signed on the spot by both drivers; the back, your version of events, can be completed calmly at home.

Crashform is the official accident-report app provided by Assuralia, the Belgian federation of insurance companies. It guides you field by field, geolocates the accident, attaches photos and sends the report straight to both companies. Its legal value is strictly identical to the paper form.

Is the accident form compulsory?

No Belgian law requires you to fill in a form. But without it, you face your insurer with no evidence, up against the other driver's version. The form signed on the spot remains, alongside the police report, the strongest piece in a file. Filling it in is always in your interest, even for a scratch.

What if the other driver refuses to sign?

Don't force anything, and call the police. Immediately note the plate, make and colour of the vehicle and, if possible, the driver's identity. Fill in your own form alone, describing the facts, and look for witnesses whose contact details you take. A refusal to sign does not deprive you of compensation if you can prove the circumstances another way.

Do you need to call the police?

Not for a simple collision with a form and no injuries. Dial 101 (or 112) as soon as there are injuries, a serious disagreement over fault, a hit-and-run, a suspicion of alcohol or drugs, or damage to public property. The police report then becomes decisive evidence that your insurer will ask for.

Within what deadline must I report the accident to my insurer?

Within 8 days, and ideally as soon as you get home. The law of 4 April 2014 on insurance requires you to report the claim as quickly as possible, and within the deadline set in the contract at the latest. The FPS Economy points out that this legal deadline is 8 days, but many contracts bring it down to 48 hours.

The channel matters little: Crashform transmits automatically, otherwise you send the form via the customer area, by email or by post. What counts is being able to prove you sent it. A delay does not automatically cancel your cover, but if it harms the insurer — for example by preventing it from inspecting the damage — compensation can be reduced or even refused.

In practice, I have seen files get complicated over a few days' delay on a theft reported too late. For theft specifically, the reflex is twofold: notify the police within 24 hours and your insurer right after. The faster and better documented the report, the smoother the settlement.

Does an accident push up my bonus-malus?

Only if you are at fault. In Belgium, the bonus-malus system (the reduction-increase coefficient) rewards each year without an at-fault claim and penalises the opposite. An accident you are found responsible for generally costs you several levels; a no-fault claim should change nothing.

The legal scale runs from -2 up to 22, and an at-fault accident most often costs 5 levels of increase, passed on to your premium at the next renewal. So before accepting shared fault on the form, measure what it represents: to understand the calculation, read our guide on car insurance bonus-malus in Belgium.

What to do after a hit-and-run or with an uninsured driver?

You are not alone — the Belgian Common Guarantee Fund takes over. The FCGB compensates victims when the at-fault driver fled and cannot be found, or when they were driving without insurance. It is a safety net provided by law, funded by the sector, so that the absence of an opposing insurer does not leave you without recourse.

The immediate reflex is to file a complaint with the police, who will draw up a report: this must be done within 30 days of the accident. You then have 5 years to file your claim with the Fund. The scope of cover depends on the situation, as the table below summarises.

By "serious injuries", the Fund means death, hospitalisation of more than 7 days or permanent disability of at least 15%. And beware: an identified uninsured driver can be forced to repay the FCGB every sum advanced, on top of the fine for driving without insurance. Driving without the compulsory third-party car insurance in Belgium always costs more than a premium.

The documents to keep after an accident

Three items decide what happens next; gather them before leaving the scene. The signed form (or the Crashform file number) settles liability. Photos of the vehicles, their position and the signage back up your version. The contact details of any witnesses, finally, often make the difference in a dispute.

Also keep your licence, the registration certificate and your insurance certificate to hand. If the accident happened outside Belgium, the same European form applies and it is your Belgian company that handles the file: we detail these rules in our guide on car insurance abroad. Before your next renewal, it is also a good time to browse our Belgian car insurance guides to check that your cover still matches your real use.