Claim process visual map
You want to see the whole journey at a glance, including the points where it can branch.
Most explanations of a road accident claim describe one straight line from accident to settlement. In practice the route forks several times, depending on your insurance situation, whether liability is agreed, and whether the case settles. This map shows those forks in one place.
What this map shows
Rather than a single sequence, this groups the process into stages with clear branch points. At each fork, follow the path that matches your situation rather than assuming everyone goes through the same steps in the same order.
The map, stage by stage
- Scene and treatment: get medical help and gather what evidence you safely can.
- Report and notify: lodge your police report, generally within 24 hours, and tell your insurer.[1]
- Check the insurance situation:
- The other driver is insured: your claim proceeds as an ordinary third-party claim.
- The other driver is uninsured but identified: the Motor Insurers’ Bureau (MIB) route may apply instead. See claiming against an uninsured driver.
- The vehicle cannot be identified at all: your options are limited, and hit-and-run: can you claim explains why honestly.
- Get your specialist medical report once your treatment and prognosis are clear enough.
- The insurer’s loss adjuster reviews liability and the likely amount.
- Check whether liability is agreed:
- Agreed: the discussion moves toward negotiating a settlement figure.
- Disputed: filing suit becomes the more likely next step.
- Check how the case resolves:
- Settled: recorded as a consent judgment.
- Not settled: pre-trial steps follow, and the case may eventually reach trial.
Where you probably are right now
If you have not yet reported the accident or seen a doctor, you are at the very start. If you are waiting on a medical report or an adjuster’s response, you are in the middle stretch, which is often the slowest part. If you have received a settlement offer or a letter about court, you are near one of the later forks.
What to do next
The claim process step by step covers each stage in full detail, and claim deadlines explains the outer limit you are working within regardless of which path you take. Do you need a lawyer is worth reading once you know roughly where you stand.
Common questions
How is this different from reading the process written out in full?
This map focuses on the decision points, the moments where your path can genuinely differ from someone else's. The full written process is still worth reading for detail on each stage.
What if my situation skips one of the stages shown here?
That happens often. A case with clear liability and a cooperative insurer can move through several stages quickly, while a disputed one slows down at a specific fork. The map is a guide, not a fixed script.
Where on this map do most people bring in a lawyer?
Most commonly at the point where liability is disputed, an offer feels too low, or a suit needs to be filed. Earlier involvement is also possible and can help you avoid mistakes at the evidence stage.
What if I am already further along than the start of this map?
Find the stage that matches where you are now and read from there. Earlier stages are still useful background if a question comes up about something you already did.
Sources
- Road Transport Act 1987, s.52 (Ministry of Transport) (accessed 2026-09-22)