What to do after a lorry accident
A lorry hit you and there may be a driver, a company and an insurer to deal with.
See a doctor quickly. A lorry collision can injure you more seriously than a car crash, even when the damage looks similar. The other steps are the same: photograph the scene, exchange details and lodge a police report the same day.
What to do right now
- Check for injuries first. An impact with a lorry can be more serious than it feels.
- Photograph both vehicles, including the lorry’s registration and company markings.
- Note the company’s name if it is a company vehicle, as well as the driver’s details.
- Get contact details from any witnesses.
- Lodge a police report the same day, describing the vehicles and their positions.
Why a lorry accident often feels different
A lorry is heavy, so the force of a collision is usually greater. That is why thorough medical checks and specialist reports are common after these crashes. Compulsory motor insurance covers commercial vehicles like private cars, and the at-fault party’s insurer pays a valid claim.[1]
The company layer worth understanding
Many lorries are owned or run by a company, not the driver, so a commercial insurance policy usually sits behind the vehicle. Your route to compensation stays the same. Record the company’s details as well as the driver’s.
Evidence that matters more here
Photograph the registration plate, the company signage and any loose or overhanging load. The load matters if it helped cause the accident. Dashcam footage from either vehicle is valuable, because lorry accidents are often disputed afterwards.
Next steps
What to do after a road accident covers the full sequence, and making a road accident claim explains how the claim proceeds.
When a haulage company and its insurer are involved, an independent lawyer can take the claim on for you. For first contact, send only the accident date and place, whether anyone was injured (yes/no) and the police report status.
Need a lawyer to handle your injury claim?
For people seeking legal representation. For general information, please use our guides and tools.
Common questions
Do I claim against the driver or the lorry company?
In practice you claim against the at-fault party's insurer, which is usually the commercial vehicle's own insurance policy. Whether the lorry is company-owned or independently owned mainly affects who arranges the insurance, not the basic route of the claim.
Why does everyone say lorry accident injuries are treated more seriously?
The size and weight difference in a collision with a lorry often causes more serious injury than a car-to-car accident, so more thorough medical assessment and specialist reports are common rather than unusual here.
Should I ask for the lorry's company details as well as the driver's?
Yes, if it is a company vehicle. The company name, the lorry's registration and the driver's own details all help establish exactly which policy and which party the claim needs to go to.
Is a lorry accident automatically the lorry driver's fault because of the size difference?
No. Fault is assessed the same way as any other accident, based on the evidence of what actually happened, not automatically assumed because one vehicle was larger.
Sources
- Road Transport Act 1987, s.90 and s.96 (Ministry of Transport) (accessed 2026-09-22)
Need a lawyer to handle your injury claim?
For people seeking legal representation. For general information, please use our guides and tools.